


Year 6 - Best Served Cold

by Casazael



Series: The Dwarf Who Lived [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:20:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 81,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28183065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casazael/pseuds/Casazael
Summary: This summer turned out to be a different experience for Kíli with a lot less magic than he was used to. But that was not what he missed the most during his two-month stay in the Muggle orphanage.
Relationships: Fíli/Kíli (Tolkien), Kíli/Thorin Oakenshield
Series: The Dwarf Who Lived [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680766
Comments: 113
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This summer turned out to be a different experience for Kíli with a lot less magic than he was used to. But that was not what he missed the most during his two-month stay in the Muggle orphanage.

Summer has always been a time for families to spend time together, especially for those with children of school age. This had been no different for Kíli in the past five years. Every summer holiday, he would go back to the Muggle orphanage to see his friends in the Muggle world again. Even though it meant at least a month away from the Wizarding world and no use of any magic, Kíli bore them happily if that meant he got to spend time with his Muggle friends. This year, however, things were, for the first time, different.

“I still can’t believe Dean has made it to West Ham’s youth team!” Seamus said, for the umpteenth time. “Honestly! West Ham. It’s his favourite team! Talking about a dream come true, the lucky bastard!”

Kíli laughed. He was surprised to find Dean absent when he came back to the orphanage. The news was even more unexpected since footballers normally get into the youth system when they are very young. Being an orphan, Dean never got the chance until he was spotted by a scout when he was playing in the park a couple of months ago. The only downside was that Kíli rarely saw Dean these days. The practice hours were long and Kíli suspected that Dean was putting in extra work compared to everyone else due to his late start. He knew how valuable such an opportunity could be for someone like Dean, who was the last person to give it up. Even Seamus no longer spent much time in the orphanage. Apart from his job at a supermarket, Seamus spent most of his time at West Ham’s training ground, watching Dean.

“Hey, do you want to go and see Dean practice?” Seamus asked, his eyes lit up. “Ginny’s there all the time. I’m sure we can sneak you in as well.”

“That will be absolutely wicked!” Kíli could feel his voice rise a couple of octaves but he did not even care. He had never been to a professional team training ground before. He wondered if it would be very different from the Quidditch ones. Tauriel, who started her training with Puddlemere United right after she graduated, had sent him a couple of letters during the summer, telling him all the fun she had had in her brand new professional Quidditch career. It was hard not to fantasise a similar life for himself, even though Kíli knew that it was quite unlikely. It never hurt to dream though.

The day of the visit, which was a Tuesday, came with a lot of excitement. Madam McGonagall had finally agreed to let Kíli go without an adult chaperone after Ginny promised to take him there and back. Kíli found himself thoroughly enjoying the normality of it all. After five eventful years in the magic world, something as Muggle as football came as a welcome change.

“So,” said Ginny conversationally when they were on the bus, “have you met any nice girl in that magic school of yours yet?”

Kíli felt his face heat up. This was not the first time the topic was brought up in the orphanage, of course. Dean and Seamus had probed and teased him ceaselessly about girls in Hogwarts, especially after Kíli had accidentally shown him a moving picture of a radiant Tauriel right after their Quidditch win. Kíli had yet to see the photo again, though he thought a raid of Seamus’s secret stash might solve the problem. Talking to Ginny, who was a girl, however, felt different. “Er, sort of but not really.”

Ginny giggled. “How come I’m not surprised, Kíli!”

Personally, Kíli thought this was a valid question. “What do you mean? Why are you not surprised?”

“It’s just,” Ginny fought hard not to giggle, “I always thought you’re a bit, well, gay.”

“What?”

“Oh, I don’t mean it in a bad way.” The grin disappeared from Ginny’s face immediately, possibly after seeing the look on Kíli’s face. “You’re just like any other boys. It’s just, you never talk about girls and the only ones you do talk about are, well, blokes. Actually, mostly just Fíli.”

If there were a hole in the ground, Kíli would have burrowed his head in it and never taken it out. How could someone like Ginny, who barely knew him, notice his obsession with Fíli? How transparent and, given the recent revelation, pathetic he must have been?

“Kíli? Kíli? Are you alright?”

Kíli shook his head to clear his mind. Could he trust Ginny?

“I understand how it must feel,” Ginny said in a surprisingly gentle tone. “I used to fancy the pants off one of my brother’s best friends in school but he never notices me. To him, I’m always his best friend’s baby sister. Nothing more. So I understand what it’s like.”

Burying his face in his palms, Kíli’s first sentences came out all muffled. “I think I might be in love with Fíli but he’s not my One. I reckon it kind of makes sense because he’s the only heir of his uncle and he needs to produce a child of his own. But it’s just so hard. He’s my best friend!”

“What’s a One?” Ginny’s eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

Kíli proceeded to tell Ginny everything about Dwarf’s One and how he discovered the shock of his life a month ago. That fascinated Ginny. “So you know who your soulmate is and that will never change? That’s so cool! I wish I knew who my One is. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the way!”

“I reckon it is. But when your One is not who you want to be with, it can be a bit of a downer.”

Ginny patted him sympathetically on the arm. “I can only imagine. But if this One business is as accurate as you say it is, maybe it knows more than you do. I mean, honestly, we’re just kids. What do we know about love, right? Maybe your opinion will change later when we grow up.”

This was the only explanation that made sense to Kíli. Yet it was no less hard to accept. “It’s just so hard. He’s my best friend and I can’t imagine my life without him by my side!”

“And he always will be,” Ginny said firmly. “Nothing will change that. Maybe it’s better that way. Friendship is honestly better than a relationship.” When she saw the look on Kíli’s face, she pressed on. “Keeping being his best friend. He’s your best friend for a good reason and it will be such a shame to let it slip away from your life. Your heart will sort itself out. Just give it time.”

Kíli smiled. As it turned out, he did feel better after talking to Ginny, something he did not expect. Girls really know their stuff, Kíli thought, especially things about feelings. The truth was, he had been feeling a bit down since he had not received many letters from Fíli, let alone an invitation to visit Erebor. It was already the end of July so Kíli wondered if the invitation would ever come. Moreover, he had not heard from Fíli for a whole week, which was such a rarity that Kíli could not help but notice. What could be the reason? Fíli must be incredibly busy, possibly with the heir training stuff, now that he was much older. That must be it. It had to be the reason.

The training practice was thoroughly riveting to watch. Kíli was amazed by how good Dean and his teammates were. He had always known that Dean was a solid midfielder but this was a whole new level. He had cried himself coarse cheering for Dean, along with Ginny, who could hardly sit down for one minute straight.

“This is so much fun!” Kíli said breathlessly once the practice was over. It reminded him of everything he loved about team sports, be it football or Quidditch. “Thank you so much for inviting me over! You’re absolutely brilliant, mate!”

Dean beamed at him. “Cheers, mate. Sorry I haven’t seen much of you lately but I just can’t believe they’ve decided to give me a chance. I really don’t want to blow it.”

“You’re not!” Kíli reassured him. “You’re amazing and you’ve worked so hard. I’m so proud of you!”

Once they were back to the orphanage, Kíli was greeted with a sight he certainly did not expect to see. A handsome tawny owl was flying haphazardly in the sitting room of the orphanage, chasing Seamus while flapping its wings menacingly.

“Er…” Kíli did not know what to do in this particular instance. They had never taught him how to deal with an angry owl in the Care of Magical Creatures lessons. “Everything alright?”

“Of course not!” Seamus shouted as he ducked a divebomb from the owl. “Use your eyes, will you? Somebody catch this bloody bird!”

Since he was the most likely recipient of the letter, Kíli stepped forward to approach the little owl. To everyone’s amazement, the owl’s feathers fluffed up immediately the moment it saw Kíli. Abandoning Seamus, it flew directly to Kíli, who stretched his arm out to receive the feathered messenger. Once it had landed, the owl extended its leg out so Kíli could retrieve the letter tied to it. A quick glance at the letter told Kíli that this owl belonged to the Ministry.

“Bloody bird’s a menace.” Seamus massaged his head ruefully. Mrs Potter, the cook in the orphanage, hurried forward to fuss over him. “Nearly took me head off. All I did was trying to get the letter from him.”

Normally, Seamus’s antics would crack a smile on Kíli’s face. He was, however, too preoccupied to think of anything else at the moment. Unless he was very much mistaken, the envelope contained his O.W.L. results.

“Kíli?” Even Madam McGonagall had taken an interest in the chaos in the sitting room. “Everything alright?”

His throat too dry to speak, Kíli tore the envelope open and unfolded the letter with shaking hands. The letter header confirmed his suspicion. It was indeed his O.W.L. results.

“It’s okay, Kíli,” said Madam McGonagall, guessing correctly what that letter entailed, “I’m sure you did alright in your exams. Why don’t you sit down?” With that, she guided Kíli to the sofa while Mrs Potter promptly brought him some tea.

Kíli was sorely tempted to close his eyes and ask someone else to look. In the end, he had to do it himself. With bated breath, he looked down at the letter and started to read.

ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS

**Pass Grades** : **Fail Grades** :

Outstanding (O) Poor (P)

Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)

Acceptable (A) Troll (T)

Kíli Durin has achieved:

Ancient Runes - Khuzdûl A

Arithmancy A

Astronomy A

Care of Magical Creatures E

Charms O

Defence Against the Dark Arts O

Herbology E

History of Magic A

Potions E

Transfiguration E

Kíli gulped down his tea and pinched himself. He passed all his O.W.L.s! The two ‘O’s in Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts were the icing on the cake. Kíli could not wait to tell Dwalin about it. He even got an ‘E’ in Transfiguration, something he certainly did not expect considering how much time he had spent staring at Lady Galadriel instead of learning in class. 

Kíli supposed that he could hardly complain about his ‘E’ in Potions based on his past Potions grades. He had come a long way from melting cauldrons at random to almost getting a top grade in Potions. Yet it was still a massive disappointment because it meant that his dream of becoming an Auror like his father was out of the window. Thorin had made it abundantly clear that he would not accept any students with grades lower than an ‘O’. Kíli knew rationally that he should feel pleased since he hardly had any real chance of becoming an Auror, to begin with. The disappointment, however, was so hard to shake off. Now more than ever did he wish for Fíli’s calming presence. His best friend knew how to comfort him, except that he was not there, nor was he in contact much.

“How did it go?” Mrs Potter asked in a soft voice. Next to her, Madam McGonagall looked equally intrigued.

“I,” Kíli swallowed and put on a brave and happy face, “I did alright. Passed all my O.W.L.s and even got two ‘O’s, you know, the top grade.”

“Well done!” The smile on Madam McGonagall’s face was wider than Kíli had ever seen. “I’m so proud of you, Kíli. Great job!”

“Thanks.” It was hard not to smile with Madam McGonagall when she was so enthusiastic about his results. “It turned out alright, didn't it?”

“So which classes are you going to take next?”

Dean, bless him, Kíli thought, must be feeling guilty about not seeing Kíli much during the summer. “I reckon just 4 or 5. I haven’t thought about it, to be honest. Some professors are more strict about the grades you get. Maybe I’ll get a letter about it.” This did make Kíli wonder: which classes was he allowed to take. It must be those that he got an ‘E’ and above. Kíli could hardly imagine Professor Gloín taking him in with only an ‘A’ in Arithmancy. This put another damper on his mood. Unless he was very much mistaken and the world was about to end, Fíli must have secured an “O” in Arithmancy and would continue with the class. One fewer class he could share with Fíli was not what Kíli needed right now.

Kíli debated long and hard the next day whether he should write to Fíli about his O.W.L. results. After all, Fíli might be incredibly busy and could do with less distraction. On the other hand, it was so hard not to share such an important moment with Fíli. He had already written to Dwalin about his “O” in Defence Against the Dark Arts so surely Fíli deserved to know it too.

Before he could make up his mind, Kíli received another letter, this time from Lady Galadriel, who personally congratulated Kíli on his O.W.L. results first before listing the classes he was allowed to take in N.E.W.T. level. Just as Kíli had predicted, he was cleared to take Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Transfiguration. Lady Galadriel specifically commended Kíli for his extraordinary effort in Transfiguration and the resulting grade. This finally put a smile on Kíli’s face. It filled him with warmth knowing that he had made Lady Galadriel proud.

The next letter that Kíli received was from Gimli, something he did not quite expect.

_ Kíli mate, _

_ You won’t believe it but I passed all my O.W.L.s, even History of Magic! How sick is that?! Not to brag or anything, but I smashed Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Dáin was so pleased. He told me his contact at the Ministry let it slip that nobody had done so well in the test since he sat his O.W.L. _

_ How about your O.W.L. results? I bet they’re a lot better than mine. I don’t think I’m going to take that many N.E.W.T. classes, just Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Herbology, and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Dad’s been mad at me for not getting another ‘O’ but who cares. Anyway, let me know how your results day went and what classes you want to take next.  _

_ Btw, you must know it already but Fíli got ‘O’s in all his O.W.L.s. How is that humanly possible? He’s officially the school swot and he’s pleased about it! Talk about priorities! _

_ Later, _

_ Gim _

Kíli could feel his heart sink as he read the letter. Gimli knew how Fíli did, which meant that they must have either corresponded with each other or maybe even met in person. It was hard not to feel not only sad but even a bit resentful. He was the one left out, alone in the Muggle world with no words from his best friend while Fíli was probably spending quality time with his other friends. How could Fíli do something like this to him? Why?

Ori’s letter arrived later that day. Kíli was not surprised to learn that Ori passed all his O.W.L.s with nothing lower than ‘E’s. If there was one person who studied as hard as Fíli, it was Ori. Ori’s ‘E’ in Defence Against the Dark Arts, therefore, served as a good confidence boost to Kíli. Just as expected, Ori had decided to take as many N.E.W.T.s as he could squeeze into his timetable. Kíli thought that Ori would even continue History of Magic if his schedule would allow for it.

Now that Kíli knew what his friends were taking for N.E.W.T.s, he had a better idea himself. His only doubt was Care of Magical Creatures. Even though he qualified for the class, Kíli had wondered if he would have time to take this extra class, not to mention the likelihood of losing his limbs or even his life when dealing with even more dangerous and maniacal beasts in the next two years. Now that he was not allowed to take Potions, Kíli figured that he should continue with Care of Magical Creatures. Who knew where his future would lie since becoming an Auror was no longer an option. He might end up working in a field related to magical creatures. More options would always be nice.

Once he had finished his reply to Lady Galadriel about his N.E.W.T. class choices, Kíli finally sat down to write the letter to Fíli. Even though he was still mad at Fíli for not writing to him, Kíli figured that he would be the mature one and take the initiative himself. Surely his letter would prompt a response from Fíli.

If that was what Kíli was expecting, he was sorely disappointed. A week had gone by without a single word from Fíli, not even a happy birthday when all his other friends sent presents in the post. This was when Kíli was seriously concerned. It had never happened before. No matter how Fíli had been, he had always made sure that he set some time aside just for Kíli, unless when they were fighting. Kíli had to wrack his brain to see if he had said anything stupid in his last letters to annoy Fíli. He could not think of any, not to mention that it was not like Fíli at all to get angry at him over something as trivial as a letter. Their friendship and bond were stronger than that. For the life of him, Kíli simply could not think of any reason why Fíli would cut all correspondence with him.

The radio silence continued until two weeks before the start of the school term, when Kíli could not put off his school shopping any longer. He kept waiting for Fíli to finally write to him so they could finalise a time to go together. The letter never came. In the end, Kíli had to settle for going shopping by himself.

“Will you be alright,” Madam McGonagall asked once more the night before Kíli’s trip to Diagon Alley, “doing this on your own?”

Kíli gave her a brave smile. “Of course. I’ve done this before, haven’t I?”

“But always with…” She stopped suddenly and put on a smile that seemed just a tad forced. “But of course you’ll be fine. You’re almost an adult now!”

Without any magical help, Kíli had to get to Diagon Alley the Muggle way. While the tube was tolerable during non-rush hours, Kíli still missed the magical ways of transportation. They might not be as comfortable, but they were much more time-efficient. The trip to his vault in Erebor, on the other hand, was a less than pleasant experience. Kíli almost asked for Fíli when he approached the Dwarf who worked at the counter. It was so hard, being this close to Fíli but unable to see him. The state of his vault did little to lift his mood. The pile of silver and bronze was in an almost pitiful state that Kíli wondered if he could make it through the next two years. The only saving grace was that since he was no longer taking that many classes, especially Potions, his school supplies list shortened significantly. Kíli spent most of his time in the second-hand book shop, where he bumped into someone rather unexpected.

“Ori! What are you doing here?”

“Kíli!” Ori’s beaming smile was enough to bring up a similar one from Kíli. “I’m here to look for some old books, of course. You never know what kind of treasure a second-hand bookstore may have.”

Kíli rolled his eyes affectionately. Trust Ori to look for treasure in a bookstore in his spare time, while he could be out playing Quidditch or other wizarding games. “Of course! How silly of me.”

“Don’t be cheeky.” Ori’s smile did not falter one bit. “Are you here to buy your books for next year? Congratulations on the ‘O’ in Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts by the way! Professor Dwalin was so proud of you.”

“You’ve talked to him?” Was everyone having their own get-togethers without him?

“He stopped by to chat to Nori,” Ori said, his eyes on a battered-looking book now. “Probably to rant. Can’t say I blame him. What Professor Thorin did to Fíli is just unthinka…”

“What?” Kíli was so loud that Ori really did jump and nearly knocked the nearby bookshelf over. Kíli had no time to care though. “What has Professor Thorin done to Fíli?”

Ori’s eyes went wide. “You didn’t know? I thought Fíli must have written to you. Or did Professor Thorin…” He put his hand over his mouth and gasped.

“What?” Kíli’s patience was wearing thin. His imagination was running wild with all sorts of crazy scenarios. “For the love of God, Ori, tell me what’s going on!”

“I, well, it’s a long story,” Ori sighed. Kíli had to physically restrain himself from shaking the answer out of his friend. “The gist is that Professor Thorin has sent Fíli away to tour different countries about three weeks ago. It came as a bit of a surprise because this kind of tours don’t usually happen until we’ve graduated from Hogwarts.”

“But why?” Now Kíli was officially bewildered. It made no sense.

Ori chewed on his lips and scrunched his face up. “Look, this is just a rumour, something I overheard from Professor Dwalin’s conversation with Nori. But it sounds like Professor Thorin only did this because he found out about Thorin Stonehelm-Ironfoot and Eira’s upcoming engagement.”

Kíli had to shake his head. Just how much had he missed in one summer? “Hang on, when did that happen?”

“Oh, I forgot you didn’t know about that too.” Now Ori looked even more apologetic. “But apparently Thorin Stonehelm-Ironfoot and Eira have been dating for a while now and Professor Dáin has contacted Eira’s father to ask for Eira’s hand for his son. He has accepted and, you know, it’s hard to keep this kind of news secret.”

Kíli winced. He could almost picture the look on Thorin’s face when he heard the news. “Professor Thorin must be livid.”

“Unfortunately, yes, according to Professor Dwalin anyway. He had a massive row with Fíli and the next day, Fíli’s gone. According to Professor Dwalin, Thorin sent him to visit all the prominent Dwarves families with daughters of marrying age. I suppose Professor Thorin must have forbidden Fíli to send you letters.”

Kíli opened his mouth and then closed it. So many thoughts raced through his mind that he did not know where to start. Part of him, albeit a small one, was pleased that nothing had caused a rupture in his friendship with Fíli. The sense of relief, however, was soon buried under the overwhelming waves of concern and confusion. While it made sense for Thorin to send Fíli on such a trip after the news about Eira, why would he forbid Fíli to write to Kíli? Could it possibly mean? Yet Fíli had agreed to go on this trip. So surely Fíli was at least somewhat amenable to his uncle’s scheming. Then what difference did it make really? Fíli might not have his heart in an arranged marriage, but he was going to follow his uncle’s instruction anyway.

“Kíli? Kíli? Are you alright?”

“What? Oh yes,” Kíli said, somewhat flustered. “I’m fine, really.”

Ori’s smile was full of sympathy and understanding, so much so that Kíli had to get away. He needed to be alone. He needed time and space to process the information and possibly to heal. “Sorry, but I’ve got to go. Catch you later.”

It was still early in the day after Kíli had fled from his conversation with Ori. With all his shopping done, Kíli had no desire to return to the orphanage. He knew that his friends and Madam McGonagall would know something was wrong and he did not feel up to discuss it yet. Instead, he just wandered aimlessly in Diagon Alley, taking in the busy street and the bustling crowd. It was strangely soothing.

“Kíli?”

The last person Kíli expected to meet in the middle of Diagon Alley was Dís. Yet there she was, standing right outside the Apothecary, laden with parcels of various sizes. Kíli rushed forward because he felt obliged to help. Dís, however, gave him a beaming smile before muttering something without extracting her wand. Kíli stood rooted to the spot to watch the parcels vanish into thin air.

“Wandless magic.” Dís smiled at the astonished look on Kíli’s face. “You’ll learn that in the second term of your 7th year.”

“That’s absolutely wicked!”

Dís laughed this time. “Cheers, Kíli. Now, why don’t you walk with me?”

Following Dís’s footsteps, Kíli suddenly remembered all the feelings he had experienced this summer. Perhaps his thoughts were written too plainly on his face because the smile on Dís’s face vanished just like her shopping.

“So you’ve heard,” Dís said without much of a preamble.

“Er,” Kíli did not know how to answer. The last thing he wanted was to lie to Fíli’s mum. Yet if he answered in the affirmative, they were bound to talk about it. He was not sure if he was ready.

Dís sighed, “I see. How are you feeling?”

“Alright,” Kíli said automatically.

“Of course you’re not alright,” Dís said in a raised tone. Kíli looked up and was astonished to see her face red and nostrils flaring. Was she mad at him? “I can’t believe that my dunderhead of a brother could have done something as stupid as this.”

“Oh.”

“He’s got absolutely no right!” Dís fired on. “I wasn’t home that night. Otherwise, I would have hexed his balls off before he could ship Fíli off to some Mahal forsaken place just to satisfy his scheming. I did hex him afterwards, mind you,” the fire in her eyes made Kíli believe her instantly, “but it’s not nearly as satisfying and Fíli’s already gone.” She sighed, “I’m so sorry, Kíli. This isn’t fair to you at all.”

“I,” Kíli felt a lump form in his throat. Was this how it felt like to have a mother who would defend you at the slightest injustice from the outside world? Would Dís still feel the same way if she discovered how Kíli felt about Fíli? “It’s fine, honestly.”

“No, it’s not. And Fíli didn’t want to go. But you know Fíli, he always listens to his uncle. Don’t you worry though. He wrote to me later and told me that even though he’s gone on the trip, he has no wish to form any sort of marital alliances with those Dwarf families. He’s merely going as Thorin’s, well, ambassador, to improve the relationships between our houses. He even sent your birthday present to me but he told me not to post it to you because he wants to give it to you himself and explain everything.”

It was hard not to feel thrilled about the news, even harder to conceal said excitement from his face, a skill Kíli had yet to possess. Dís must have seen it too, for she finally smiled. “I’m glad this is good news for you. Don’t you ever doubt Fíli. He’d never betray you or his heart, no matter what.”

Kíli nearly froze on the spot. Could she possibly mean what he thought she meant? “What do you…”

The look Dís gave him was long and searching. Kíli stood up a bit straighter, trying to look his best and most respectable. Dís smiled. “Oh my dear, I thought you know. Well, I suppose it’s not my story to tell. Just know that you’ve got nothing to worry about. Fíli knows what to do and I will support both of you no matter what you choose.”

Kíli could feel his face heat up rapidly. Unless he was very much mistaken, which was a distinct possibility since he was apparently bad at things like feelings, Dís did know about his feelings for Fíli and she seemed to think that it was not unrequited after all. Was it possible? Could someone as popular, intelligent, kind, respected, well to do, and pretty much perfect as Fíli seriously fancy someone like him? Not just fancy him, but like him enough to defy his own uncle! If Kíli did not believe in miracles before, he sure did now.

“I’m glad I can clear something off your mind,” Dís said with a satisfied smile. “Once again, so sorry about everything. I’d love to ask you to come over to Erebor but I doubt my stupid brother would make it a pleasant experience.”

“That’s fine, Mrs Arken, really.” And Kíli meant it too. The news made everything else seem so trivial now. So thrilled was he about his conversation with Dís that Kíli did not even remember what Ori had told him last term about his One until he was back in the orphanage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The summer felt different without Fíli but the wait was finally over as Kíli arrived at Hogwarts for another year of adventures.

With Dís’s reassurance, the rest of the summer holiday went a lot smoother for Kíli. Now that he knew Fíli did not ignore him out of his own free will, Kíli was much more at ease with the situation. He still bemoaned the lack of letters from his best friend but he had decided to take the opportunity to spend some quality time with his friends in the orphanage because according to Madam McGonagall, Kíli would become a legal adult next summer, which meant that he was free to go wherever he wanted.

“You would always be welcome at the orphanage, of course,” said Madam McGonagall hastily at the horrified look on Kíli’s face. “I’m not kicking you out, Kíli. I’m just saying, I’ll stop being your legal guardian next year and you’re free to do whatever you want.”

“But I’m only 17 next summer.”

“Wizarding Law is different,” Madam McGonagall said patiently. “Their legal age is 17.”

Kíli was not sure how he felt about leaving the orphanage, especially when he was still in school and without any means to support himself. He did, however, look forward to being able to drink firewhiskey legally.

The sheer number of orphans in the orphanage meant that Kíli’s days were packed now that he tried to interact with everybody. Kíli often found himself completely drained at the end of the day. It was perhaps a blessing in disguise since it left him little time or energy to dwell on the matter that had been weighing on his mind for the past couple of months.

What was he supposed to do with Thorin, who was allegedly his One, and Fíli, whom he was 100 per cent certain that he was in love with? How could he go back to Hogwarts and face Thorin again? Now that he came to this realisation, his Potion O.W.L. grade seemed more like a silver lining. His biggest concern, however, was Fíli. Could he tell Fíli how he felt? If the conversation with Dís had happened six months ago, Kíli would have been over the moon and gone to Fíli right away. Now, however, he was not so sure. It felt wrong to get Fíli’s hope up only for it to be dashed later. Why was fate so unfair?

Another surprise came in the shape of his Hogwarts letter, which arrived later than usual, possibly because their classes and the supplies list were sent to them by their Head of House after they picked their N.E.W.T. classes. Kíli was therefore not expecting another letter, much less the badge in it.

“Quidditch Captain?” Seamus cried when he spotted the shining badge. “That’s kind of like the captain for a football team, isn’t it? Wicked!”

Kíli felt his mouth hanging open. He was Quidditch Captain of Gryffindor? But surely not. He was not the oldest member on the team. With Tauriel and Angelina gone, Katie Bell, their Chaser, was still one year above Kíli. Surely they would pick her to be the Captain.

“It’s not all about seniority though,” said Dean knowledgeably. He must have some insight from his football team. “Our Captain is not the oldest one on the team either but he’s hardworking, charismatic, and fair. Honestly, I can’t think of a better person to be our captain. They must’ve seen similar qualities in you.”

If Kíli was perfectly honest, he did not feel any of those. Those words were used to describe people like Fíli, not him. True, he was fair and had always valued honesty and fair play. But leadership and charisma?

“You’ve got it in you, Kíli,” Dean said with an encouraging smile. “You may not feel it but you are passionate about what you love. That’s sometimes more important than anything. Your passion is infectious and your team will feel that before and during a match. That’s better than any lengthy pep talk, well,” he grinned, “in my opinion at least.”

Kíli was not entirely sure if he agreed. He felt more reckless than passionate. But he was not going to let Lady Galadriel down. He was going to prove to those who had doubted the decision - he was sure there were many - that he was the right choice.

When the 1st of September finally came, Kíli was feeling bittersweet. This was the first time since he had started at Hogwarts that he had spent the entire summer in the orphanage. On one hand, it did not feel enough because he did not know how much more time he would have with his friends there. Could he manage to keep in touch with Dean once he graduated from Hogwarts with him being a wizard and Dean a footballer? On the other hand, he missed his friends from the wizarding world incredibly. Not just Fíli, Gimli, and Ori, but also those who had graduated. It was almost impossible to imagine Hogwarts without Tauriel and Lindir. Life seemed a bit duller with them no longer around. 

The lack of communication from Fíli did little to help the matter. If anything, it only made it more complicated. Kíli was dreaming about his best friend almost every night. For any normal person, this would not be overly concerning. For Kíli, however, it was downright frightening. What if Thorin shared his dream? Now that Kíli knew about the connection between him and Thorin, the possibility seemed a lot higher. If it did happen, Thorin would be undoubtedly furious. Even if Thorin were not his One, he still would not appreciate Kíli’s more than friendly intentions towards his only heir. What a great way to start a relationship, Kíli thought bitterly. How bonkers did the gods, if there was any in the Wizarding World, have to be to make Thorin his One?

No matter how much Kíli dreaded the next meeting with Thorin, he would not miss the train because of that. He was going to Hogwarts and he was going to see Fíli. Nobody could stop him.

Given his anticipation, Kíli woke up just after dawn on the 1st of September. Wishing to do something nice for the orphanage before he left, Kíli cooked breakfast for everyone, porridge, french toast, and some scrambled eggs. By the time he was done, Madam McGonagall had arrived at the kitchen.

“Kíli! You don’t have to do that. It’s your day back to school!”

“It’s no trouble.” Kíli beamed at the serious matron. It was hard to imagine not coming back to her calm presence every summer. As much as she could be strict and frugal most of the time, Kíli knew she had a kind heart and did what she could to make the orphanage run as smoothly as possible, a remarkable feat, especially given the often dire financial circumstances the orphanage was in. He could not say that he was very close to the matron. Yet losing her felt much more profound than Kíli had thought possible. Soon he would be an adult and no longer the responsibility of Madam McGonagall, the woman who took him in when no one else would. He knew that she said he could still live in the orphanage, but Kíli knew that he could not do that, not to her, and not to the orphanage.

Kíli arrived at King’s Cross Station with 15 minutes to spare. Once he had settled his luggage, Kíli found an empty compartment closest to one of the doors so Fíli would not miss him and threw himself on the seat. It was hard not to lean against the windowsill and look at the platform. Where was Gimli and Ori, and most importantly, Fíli?

“Kíli?” Ori’s voice drew Kíli’s head away from the window. His friend was standing at the compartment door with a big smile on his face. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“Of course not!” Kíli wondered why Ori even had to ask.

He must look the confusion because Ori added hastily, “I just thought that you and Fíli might, you know, like some privacy.”

Kíli felt his face heat up. “I…”

Fortunately, or rather, unfortunately, he did not have to worry about the problem, when Gimli crashed through the door into their compartment.

“Gim?”

“Sorry, mate,” Gimli said breathlessly. “Had to run a bit to catch the train. How people do that every year is beyond me.”

“We use our brains to work out the time,” Ori deadpanned.

“Oh well, I’ve got better things to think about.” Gimli shrugged. “Had it not been for the stupid Prefect duty, I’d have flooed directly to dad’s office. Fíli’s lucky bastard! I don’t know how Professor Thorin lets him get away with it.”

A loud crash told Kíli that he had dropped his water bottle on the ground. Funny how he did not even feel that. “What do you mean? Is Fíli not on the train?”

The smile finally vanished from Gimli’s face. “Blimey, I thought you knew. He’s, er, going to the castle directly. At least that’s what dad told me when I asked him if I could skip the train ride. Apparently, it’s too much for two Prefects to miss the train.” Gimli rolled his eyes, clearly unable to help himself.

It felt as if someone had grabbed Kíli’s heart and squeezed it hard. Fíli was not on the train! Would Thorin really go to such length to prevent Fíli from seeing Kíli? Because Kíli could think of no other explanation as to why Fíli would miss the train. His best friend was not like Gimli. He took his responsibilities as a Prefect very seriously.

“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Ori said in a low soothing voice. “You’ll still see Fíli in the castle. There’s nothing Professor Thorin can do once you’re there.”

Frankly, Kíli thought Ori was too optimistic. Thorin had already achieved something Kíli did not think possible before, cutting off any form of communications between them for more than a month. Who said that he could not do the same in the castle?

“The other professors won’t allow it,” Ori said reasonably. “There’s nothing he can do to stop Fíli from, say, sitting next to you or talking to you in classes that are not Potions. Seriously, do you think Lady Galadriel or Professor Elrond will listen to him and separate you and Fíli? Even Professor Dwalin won’t do that.”

This only assuaged Kíli’s anxiety for two seconds. “What if Fíli won’t talk to me because Professor Thorin forbids it? He did not send me any letters this summer because of that.”

Gimli, who had looked remarkably confused, joined in the conversation. “Fíli, staying away from you? Fat chance. You to him is like heroin to a drug addict. There’s no way he’ll give you up.”

“A what to a what?” Ori’s eyes were wide with confusion. Kíli was surprised too, albeit for a very different reason.

“How the hell do you know about heroin?”

“Muggle Studies.” Gimli shrugged as if it were the most natural thing to learn about the Muggle society. “Professor Bofur set us a research project and we’re allowed to choose our own topics.”

“And you picked heroin?” Kíli shook his head in disbelief.

“That’s beside the point.” Gimli waved his hand quickly. “The point is, Fíli can’t stay away from you. He just can’t. Now I don’t know what in the name of Mahal happened over the summer holidays. But the moment he sees you in person, he’s not going to keep it in his pants, I promise you.”

“Gimli!” Ori and Kíli cried out at the same time. Kíli was sure that his face could now provide enough heat to cook a three-course dinner.

“Oh, for Mahal’s sake!” Gimli rolled his eyes. “We’re almost adults, aren’t we? It’s fine to talk about things like this. But I’m not joking. Fíli won’t be able to resist you. I’m surprised he’s managed it for so long. Must have lent a hand quite oft…”

“Now that’s enough. Thank you, Gimli!” Ori interrupted loudly before turning to Kíli. “You know what, crude language aside,” he shot Gimli another scathing look, “Gim does have a good point. It’s different, not writing to someone when you’re physically apart, and not talking to someone when you’re in the same castle.”

“But this is Fíli we’re talking about.” Kíli knew that Ori and Gimli were trying their best to help but he simply did not dare to hope. “He’s been groomed to be Thorin’s heir since birth. If anyone can pull this off, it’s him.”

“Maybe,” Ori said with a smile, “but this is also Fíli we’re talking about, the Fíli who’s been in love with you since the third year, maybe even the second.”

Kíli knew his mouth was gaping open like a dying fish but he could not care. Ori was not being serious, was he? “I… but… what… how…”

Gimli patted Kíli sympathetically on the back. “I know how you feel, mate.”

“Are you talking from experience?”

Gimli ignored Ori’s snide comment. “Seriously, everybody with eyes can see it, except you, of course. Fíli’s been gaga over you for ages. That dwarf’s saint, if you ask me. Watching you drooling after Tauriel and not saying a word? Setting you up with her? I can never do that. But Fíli did. All he cares about is you and your happiness. There’s no way he’s going to turn his back on you after one summer, whatever happened.”

“I…” Kíli was still too stunned to speak. There was so much he did not know.

“I’m sorry,” Ori said softly. “I didn’t mean to spring this one on you so suddenly. But I reckon someone’s got to do it because Fíli’s never going to. He’s just not the type. But you need to know, Kíli. More importantly, you need to never doubt his feelings for you.”

“Then why did he stop writing to me over the summer?”

Ori sighed, “To be perfectly honest, I don’t know if Fíli had stopped writing to you or if Professor Thorin had intercepted his letters so they wouldn’t reach you. Or, maybe he thought that by following Professor Thorin’s rules over the summer, he could appease him enough that he would not interfere much once you’re back in Hogwarts.”

This did make sense, which helped Kíli relax almost immediately. He should have known that Fíli was resourceful enough to think of a long-term solution. “Right. I hope it works then.”

“Of course it will,” Gimli said with the tone that everything was taken care of. “This is Fíli we’re talking about. He always has a plan. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to report to the Head Boy and Head Girl for the stupid Prefect duty.”

With the problem of Fíli temporarily solved, Kíli could focus on other trivial topics. “Do you know who the new Head Boy and Girl are?”

“Cho Chang and Roger Davis,” Ori said with a smile. “Lindir nearly blew his top when he heard.”

Kíli grinned. He could understand how Lindir felt. Roger Davis had had a crush on Cho for ages. “I can imagine. He’s got nothing to worry about though. Cho will never ditch him for Roger! Nobody with brains will!”

Ori laughed. “I know. Frankly, I don’t understand why they’ve picked Roger. I’m not sure why they picked Cho for that matter. She wasn’t even a Prefect to start with.”

This did strike Kíli as a bit odd. The Ravenclaw Prefect of the 7th year was Ylva, who did a more than competent job the year before. Cho, on the other hand, had no experience. Kíli liked her because she was pretty, kind, a great Quidditch player, and Lindir’s girlfriend. Those qualities, however, were hardly enough to be considered for Head Girl. As for Roger, to be perfectly honest, Kíli knew very little about him, apart from the fact that he was a lady’s man, something Lindir deeply resented. He was at least a Prefect though. “They must be pretty clever then.”

“Oh yes, but that’s not the most important thing, is it?” Ori said with a frown. “Roger’s a bit of a, well…”

“Womaniser?” Kíli provided helpfully.

“Fine, yes. So his relationship with the girl Prefects is not exactly solid. Cho, on the other hand, is completely new to this. I just don’t understand.”

Kíli had no answer to that either. Unlike Ori, he was not overly concerned with the decision. He was not a Prefect himself so the Head Boy and Girl choices rarely affected his life. Besides, they had got to be better than Galion.

“I think they might be chosen because Fíli’s been made Quidditch Captain,” Ori mused, tapping his finger on his chin. “Roger must be pretty mad about that so they gave him the Head Boy badge, both to appease him and to keep him busy.”

Ignoring the part about Roger completely, Kíli sat up a bit straighter. “Fíli’s Ravenclaw’s Quidditch Captain? That’s, um…”

“I see.” Ori apparently possessed the knack to know exactly what Kíli was thinking. “So you’re the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain then? Congratulations!”

Kíli grinned and grimaced at the same time, something he did not know his facial muscles were capable of doing before. “Yeah. It’s just…”

“It’ll be fine,” Ori said soothingly. “Nothing will change between you and Fíli because of that. You’ve been on the opposite side of Quidditch for 4 years now. Being Captains is hardly going to make a difference. Besides, look at Aragorn and Arwen. They never have any problems. There’s nothing a good snog can’t fix!”

“Ori!”

Ori laughed. “Sorry. I must have been spending too much time with Gimli. But honestly, don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

The rest of the train journey passed quickly. Ori was never a massive fan of games like Gobstones or Exploding Snap, which, according to him, were either too violent or too childish. They thus settled on Wizard’s Chess, where Kíli was soundly beaten repeatedly.

“This is so unfair!” Kíli cried after his 6th consecutive defeat. “You’re so good at this game that it's not even funny.”

“You just have to think more long-term,” Ori said as he rearranged his chess pieces, all of whom looked extremely smug, back on the board. “You only focus on the next step. That’s never going to win you a game.”

“You and Fíli are the strategist, not me,” Kíli pouted. “Can’t we play something else?”

“Why don’t we take a break? I can do with some reading.”

Kíli sighed inwardly. Trust Ori to always find time to read. This was when he missed Fíli or even Gimli. Surely Quidditch discussion would be more interesting than him watching Ori read. Speaking of that, “Where’s Gimli? Perfect duty should be over ages ago.”

Ori put his book down and frowned. “That’s a good point. I have absolutely no idea. Maybe the Head Boy and Girl asked him to stay behind for some additional instructions. They might be a bit concerned after, you know, what happened the last term.”

If Galion were still the Head Boy, that would make sense. Kíli had a suspicion that Roger, however, would not give a damn. Maybe Cho was the responsible one. How long could they talk to Gimli for though?

Gimli, as it turned out, did not return for the remainder of the train journey. Kíli was ready to go and look for him, had it not been for Ori. “It’s alright. Gimli can be a bit unpredictable sometimes. There’s no need to worry, trust me.”

“But…” Kíli’s retort was lost in Ori’s mysterious smile. Had he missed something again? How did this keep happening to him?

True to Ori’s words, Gimli was already sitting at the Gryffindor table when Kíli and Ori arrived at the Great Hall. Kíli, however, could spare him no mind. All his attention was drawn to the figure at the Ravenclaw table.

Could one person change that much over one summer? Fíli, who was already extremely good-looking to start with, was even more breathtakingly handsome now. Wherever he went over the summer, it must be sunny, for Fíli’s previously fair skin had turned bronze, which shone under the light of the Great Hall. His blond hair had turned a darker shade too, cascading down like a golden waterfall. He had also grown over the summer, making his build even more impressive than before. The only thing that did not change was his sky blue eyes, which were as bright as ever. Kíli felt his throat close up at the warm smile in Fíli’s eyes. It finally felt like home.

“You know,” Gimli said casually, “if you don’t wipe your face, your drool could flood the entire Hall.”

Kíli nearly choked on his own saliva. “Gimli!”

Gimli smirked. “Just stating the truth. Honestly, you look like you’re ready to jump him right here and now.”

Kíli groaned. “Please, stop!”

“It’s not me you need to worry about,” Gimli said, looking more serious now. “Look at Professor Thorin! I think he’s about to pop the clogs.”

Turning his head slowly, Kíli was almost afraid of what he might see. Thorin must hate him now. Even if he did not know about the One business, he must still be very angry that Kíli was leading his only heir astray. To his surprise, the angry look on Thorin’s face disappeared when his eyes fell on Kíli. Instead, it morphed painfully into an awkward smile, which was almost as scary as his scowls.

“Merlin’s beard!” Even Gimli noticed the unusual look on Thorin’s face. “Is Professor Thorin trying to smile?”

The smile on Thorin’s face faltered, possibly due to the dumbfounded look on Kíli’s face. Without thinking, Kíli ignored Gimli and beamed back at Thorin. The effect on his Potions professor was truly remarkable. Kíli could see Thorin’s shoulders visibly relaxing and his smile deepening into something genuine and more relaxed. It was hard not to feel his heart skipping a beat at Thorin’s changed demeanour.

The rest of the staff table looked pretty much the same. Next to Thorin sat Dwalin, who beamed at Kíli when he caught sight of him. The Headmaster was his usual composed self while Lady Galadriel and Professor Elrond were sitting on either side of him, looking as graceful and beautiful as usual. Dáin was missing, which was hardly a surprise. Bilbo, on the other hand, smiled warmly at the Hufflepuff table, even though Kíli thought he could discern the dark circles under his eyes. Kíli felt his heart settle down at the sight of his professors. It was nice to feel safe again because there was no one else that he trusted more in this world.

The four house tables, however, looked quite different. Kíli still could not shake the habit of searching for Tauriel’s fiery hair or Lindir’s hearty laughter whenever he looked up. The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw table felt too dull and quiet without them. Not to mention the departure of Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, and even Cormac McLaggen, whom Kíli never thought he would come to miss. He simply could not imagine Quidditch without them. What was he going to do?

“Blimey,” Gimli’s cry dragged Kíli out of his own thoughts. “Will you look at that! Bolg looks absolutely horrendous.”

Jerking his head around to get a better look at the Slytherin table, Kíli was astonished to see that Gimli was correct. Bolg indeed looked terrible. He seemed to have lost all his remaining hair, which were only a precious few to start with. The weight loss was so prominent that his cheeks looked sunken. His scars stood out more against his pasty skin, making him look very ill. His usual smirk, such a constant feature on his face, was also gone. Instead, he looked sullen, resentful, and withdrawn. Kíli almost felt bad for the Half-Orc. “So he still hasn’t recovered from the incident the last term?”

Gimli made a face. Even for someone as cavalier as Gimli, the loss of one’s magic was a difficult and uncomfortable topic. “Apparently not. I don’t know the details but it seems like Bolg is basically Squib now.”

“No!” Kíli shuddered at the thought. This was the worst that could happen to any wizard. “How’s he going to manage school then?”

“I dunno. But Professor Gandalf must have worked something out. I mean, we can’t exactly kick him out now, can we? That’s just too cruel, even to Bolg. Maybe they still think that he can get his magic back at some point.”

Several seats next to Bolg sat Legolas, who looked content and happy for the first time in Kíli’s memory. It was amazing how the expression on one’s face could change one’s looks so drastically. Whereas Legolas’s handsome face was marred by his haughty expressions before, his smile now made him deadly attractive. Had Kíli not been hopelessly in love with Fíli, he could see himself falling for Legolas. He was far from being alone, as he could see many girls, as well as quite a few boys, openly drooling at Legolas. Next to him, Gimli scowled.

The number of students up for Sorting this year was the smallest Kíli could remember. The majority of them were either Hobbit or Men, with a few Elves here and there. Dwarves, on the other hand, were so hard to spot that Kíli had to squint his eyes. He was forcefully reminded of Dwalin’s comments about the dwindling number of Dwarflings. It seemed a much more serious problem than he had imagined. Somehow he understood Thorin’s rationale behind Fíli’s choice of a future partner. Unless every able Dwarf would contribute to the re-population of the race, they really were on the verge of extinction.

“Blimey, is it their year already?” Gimli’s soft cry made Kíli look up. Following his line of vision, Kíli saw two small Hobbits amongst the first-years. The stockier one had a cheerful smile with hazel eyes and light brown curly hair. The one standing next to him looked skinny for a Hobbit. His darker hair contrasted his pale face, making his blue eyes even brighter. Kíli had to admit that they were both pleasant to the eye. Yet he failed to spot their special qualities that warranted such reaction from Gimli. “Who are they?”

“That one,” Gimli pointed unashamedly towards the darker haired Hobbit, “is Frodo Baggins, Professor Bilbo’s nephew. But not just that. He to Professor Bilbo is kind of like Fíli to Professor Thorin.”

“I see.” Kíli could feel sympathy rising for the little Hobbit. Unless he was much mistaken, little Frodo had lost at least one of his parents. “Poor kid.”

“It could be worse.” Gimli shrugged. “Professor Bilbo is honestly the best guardian and parent figure you can ask for.”

Kíli had to agree. Compared to his childhood, which was by no means bad, Frodo’s must be one in paradise with the kind and cheerful Bilbo. “I suppose. What about the other one? Or is he just Frodo’s friend?”

“Come on, Kíli. Look at him. Surely you can tell who he is. The resemblance is uncanny.”

Now that Gimli mentioned it, Kíli did find the stocky Hobbit somewhat familiar. Who did he resemble though? The answer came to him suddenly. “Hamson!”

“Exactly!” Gimli clapped his hands excitedly. “That’s Samwise, Hamson’s baby brother. Mahal, I hope he doesn’t try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team!”

“Gimli!”

Due to the small number, the Sorting Ceremony went a lot faster than usual. Kíli and Gimli cheered loudly when not only Frodo but also Samwise got sorted into Gryffindor. Whereas Sam puffed up his chest and beamed proudly at everyone when he sat down at the Gryffindor table, Frodo’s smile was much shier and timid. When he saw everyone’s eyes on him, he blushed and quickly sat down next to Sam, who looped his arms around Frodo for solidarity. Kíli could feel himself warm up to the pair of them quickly.

The feast was scrumptious as usual. For Kíli, who had spent an entire summer eating everyday food and never more than his share at the orphanage, this was pure heaven on earth. He was so busy stuffing his face that he paid no attention to the going-ons in the Great Hall until the murmuring grew too loud to ignore.

“What up?” Kíli mumbled through a mouthful of bread.

“I don’t… Blimey!” Gimli’s eyes were fixed on the Staff table, his mouth, which was still full, open in shock. Across the table, Ylva scrunched up her face and looked away.

“This has never happened before!” Gimli said in too loud a voice. For once though, he did not stand out. The whole school was buzzing with talks. Gandalf had just left the table.

“Silence, please.” Lady Galadriel, Deputy Headmistress, stood up and the noise died down immediately. For some people, commanding a whole room’s attention was simply effortless. “The Headmaster has to leave for some urgent Ministry business. There is, however, no need to worry. Please continue with the feast.”

“Why does Professor Gandalf have to leave?” Kíli asked. “In the middle of the Start-of-the-Term feast no less! What could be so urgent?!”

Gimli looked puzzled. “I don’t know. This doesn't usually happen, you know? So it must be something really serious! I wish I knew what!”

“Where is Lindir when you need him?” Kíli was once again reminded of how much he missed the Ravenclaw. One look at the Ravenclaw table told him that he and Gimli were not the only ones concerned. Fíli’s eyebrows were knitted together while he was deep in conversation with Ori. When he caught Kíli’s eyes, he gave Kíli a meaningful look. Kíli felt himself relax despite himself. Whatever had happened, he and Fíli would figure it out together. Nothing could be so hopeless when they worked together.

Once the feast was over, which was much shorter due to Gandalf’s abrupt departure, everyone rose from their seat to go back to their dormitory. As Kíli got up, he caught Fíli’s eyes and understood his best friend immediately. Slowing his pace, Kíli soon found himself lagging behind and by himself. He was not alone for long, for he was soon engulfed in the familiar warmth and smell of Fíli. Unable to hold himself any longer, Kíli spun on the spot and threw himself into Fíli’s arms.

“Oh, Kíli!” Kíli could feel Fíli’s head in the crook of his neck. His breath tickled Kíli, making him want to laugh and cry at the same time. He had missed Fíli’s voice and touch too much.

“Fíli!” Kíli extracted himself from Fíli’s embrace to get a better look at his friend. It was a mistake because once he did, he could no longer look away. He must look like a proper idiot now. “Er…”

Fíli smiled, sending shivers down Kíli’s spine. “I’ve missed you so much! How’s your summer? I’m so sorry that I haven’t…”

“It’s okay!” Kíli interrupted Fíli’s apologies immediately. His presence was more than enough for Kíli. Nothing had changed. “There’s no need to apologise. I understand. Your mum told me everything.”

A faint trace of pink had never looked so endearing on anyone except Fíli, Kíli decided. He had to, however, pull himself together so he could focus on their task at hand. “Right. So what’s the plan? How are we going to find out about why Professor Gandalf has left? Or do you know already?”

Fíli shook his head. “I don’t. But I have some ideas about how to find the answer.”

“What?”

“We’re going to ask uncle, of course.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though his N.E.W.T. class schedule turned out to be quite light, Kíli found that he might have some extra commitments this year.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea, asking your uncle I mean, the both of us?” Kíli was less optimistic about the idea. If Thorin’s attitude towards the relationship between him and Fíli were anything to go by, he could not imagine a happy ending when he turned up, after hours, at Thorin’s office with Fíli standing next to him. Gandalf was already away because of some crisis at the Ministry. The Headmaster certainly did not need another double murder on his plate at the moment.

Fíli grimaced. “Good point. Maybe we should ask Professor Dwalin then.”

“Or,” an idea suddenly struck Kíli, “we can try to eavesdrop. Surely Professor Dwalin is in your uncle’s office, discussing what has just happened. Do you know a good spell for that?”

Fíli shook his head, half amused, half exasperated. “No, and even if I do, rest assured that uncle would have some anti-spying spells on. I might, however,” he paused and started fumbling inside his robe's pocket, “have something that could work.”

“What in the name of God is that?” Kíli was positively alarmed to see Fíli pull a pair of ears, one on each end of a string, out of his pocket.

“Extendable Ears,” Fíli said, trying to stifle his laughter. “Lindir gave them to me as a birthday present. You put one of them to where you want to eavesdrop and hold the other one to your ear. You can then hear the conversation from the other end. One of the evil twins’ inventions, of course.”

“Of course.” Kíli picked up one of the dangly ears with the tips of his fingers to inspect it. It looked and felt almost like an actual ear, except cooler to the touch. “You reckon this will work?”

“Only one way to find out, isn’t it?”

Once they were outside Thorin’s office, which was unsurprisingly locked, Fíli knelt next to the door and put one of the ears carefully on the ground. Slipping it slowly through the crack between the door and the ground, Fíli held out the other end to Kíli, who put the ear gingerly next to his own and was surprised to hear the conversation between Thorin and Dwalin loud and clear.

“... impossible! No one’s ever done that before!”

Beckoning Fíli over, Kíli shared the ear with Fíli. It was hard not to notice the closeness of his best friend, his golden hair tickling his own cheek. Kíli gave himself a mental shake and focused on the conversation.

“... already happened. Gandalf has gone to the Ministry, of course. The Minister is going to Azkaban with the top Aurors, it seemed.”

Kíli nearly dropped the extendable ear. Azkaban? Next to him, Fíli shifted uncomfortably, his knitted eyebrows betraying his agitation.

“What good will it do? Azog’s already escaped, hasn’t he? Visiting Azkaban won’t bring him back.”

“But at least it will give the Minister an opportunity to find out what happened.”

“I can tell yeh what happened. The Ministry’s too much of a prat to continue employing the Dementors. They’ve done it before. Now they’ve betrayed them again. I wonder why anyone’s surprised about that.”

“We don’t know for sure.” Thorin’s argument was interrupted by Dwalin. 

“Come on, Thorin, be serious! Nobody can escape out of Azkaban without the Dementors’ help. That’s why nobody’s done it before.”

“So why Azog then? Why help him all of a sudden and risk the wrath of the Ministry?”

“Maybe they think the time is finally right. Yeh know how precarious our situation is. Whatever happened to the Elfling and Bolg a couple of months ago can’t be a coincidence. The dark side is gaining power. The Dementors must have sensed it. They’re foul creatures drawn naturally to the dark side.”

Thorin sighed. “Maybe. But we won’t know for sure until the Minister and the Aurors have done their investigation. In the meantime, it is best not to speculate. Our job is to keep the school safe. It is only to be expected that Azog might try to infiltrate the school, with his son still in the castle.”

“What are we going to tell the students?”

Thorin must be thinking because the room was silent for quite a while, so long that Kíli was wondering if Thorin had discovered their extendable ears. He was, therefore, relieved when Thorin finally spoke again. “I’d like to keep it a secret for as long as we can. I doubt that it will be very long. The Daily Prophet is bound to report on this, despite the Minister’s effort to cover it up. One thing I want to ensure is that Bolg is not affected by his father’s actions. It is highly unlikely that he’s involved.”

“Normally I would argue with yeh but not now. I almost feel sorry for the lad. With his magic gone and his father an escaped convict, life will be tough for him.”

For once, Kíli agreed with Dwalin. For even someone as suspicious of Bolg as he, he doubted that Bolg could have contributed to his father’s escape. He quickly made a decision not to mention this in front of Bolg and to try to stop Gimli from doing so if he could.

“So, what do you think?” Kíli asked when they were safely on their way back to the dormitory.

Fíli was still frowning. “It certainly doesn’t sound good. As Professor Dwalin said, nobody has ever escaped from Azkaban before. That’s the only reason why the wizarding world has tolerated the Dementors’ existence.”

“So how does Azog manage it then?”

“I don’t know,” Fíli sighed. “He is the right-hand man to the Dark Lord, next to only Smaug. Perhaps the Dark Lord has taught him some nasty tricks. Frankly, I’m more concerned about what he’s going to do now that he’s out. Azkaban and time with Dementors are not known for improving one’s mental well-being.”

Kíli shuddered. This was exactly what they needed. Azog was homicidal enough before he went into Azkaban. Now with insanity added to the mix, he was bound to be a walking bomb ready to go off at any minute. He could only hope that Azog would not come to Hogwarts.

“I’m sure that with all the professors in the castle, Azog stands no chance of infiltrating into the school.” Fíli tried his best to reassure him. “There’s only one of him and so many of us. Not to mention all the protective spells in the castle placed by the founders. We’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The timetable of all 6th and 7th years’ new term was passed out by their Head of Houses during breakfast the next day. Gandalf was still nowhere to be seen. Kíli was pleased to find that he had a lot more free periods than the previous years, now that he was only taking five classes. He had only Herbology on Friday morning so he practically had a three-day weekend. Next to him, Gimli had a similarly light schedule.

“This is brilliant! Now we’ve got tons of time to practice Quidditch! When are you going to hold the tryouts?”

Kíli sat up a bit straighter. This was something he had not given too much thought to. If he was perfectly frank with himself, he found the task quite daunting, since he had to replace almost half the team. “I dunno. I reckon I ought to do it this weekend since we’ve got so many positions to fill.”

Gimli nodded in sympathy. “I know what you mean. It’s so weird, playing without Tauriel and Angie. Anyway, just let me know which day so I can plan accordingly.”

“Plan?” Kíli felt his interest piqued. Gimli had never let anything stand in the way of Quidditch before. What could be so important that he needed to plan it around Quidditch?

“Er…” Unless Kíli was very much mistaken, Kíli could detect a faint tinge of pink on Gimli’s face, even underneath his impressive beard. “Nothing special really, just, you know, things.”

“Okay…” Kíli would have pressed the matter, had Keeper not arrived with a note tied to his leg. Untying it from his leg, Kíli ripped it open eagerly, thinking that it might come from Fíli, now that they had to be more discreet. To his utter surprise, it was from Thorin.

“Why does Professor Thorin want you to go to his office tonight?” Gimli asked as he peeked over Kíli’s shoulder to read the note. “It’s only the first day of school, you can’t have done anything, can you?”

“Hey!” Kíli covered the letter instinctively. “This is private!”

It was Gimli’s turn to raise his eyebrow now. “Private? What could be private about potential detentions with Professor Thorin? Unless…” He drawled out the ‘s’ as long as he could with a smirk on his face. 

“Oh, shut it!” Kíli knew that his face heating up was the last thing he needed. “I’m sure it’s not of a personal nature.” With that said, Kíli was indeed puzzled. What could Thorin possibly want to talk to him about, if not about his relationship with Fíli, or, Kíli almost shuddered at the possibility, with himself?

With that meeting on the back of his mind, Kíli found himself getting restless throughout the day. Fortunately, he had only one class that day, double Transfiguration in the afternoon. Even better was that he could spend the free period in the morning with Fíli, whose Quenya class did not start until an hour before lunch.

“Uncle wants to see you tonight?” Fíli was equally bewildered by Thorin’s note. “What could he possibly want to talk about?”

Kíli shrugged. He had no idea himself. “Maybe it’s about Azog’s escape from Azkaban?”

Fíli did not look convinced, though Kíli could hardly blame him. It made no sense that Thorin wanted to speak to him in private about Azog without Fíli. “Well, I reckon we just have to wait and see tonight. Anyway,” he quickly changed the topic to something more pleasant, “Ori told me that you’re the new Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain. Congratulations!” Throwing his arms around Fíli, Kíli hugged his best friend, “I can’t think of anyone more deserving!”

He could almost feel Fíli relax in his arms. Was his best friend nervous about how the captaincy would affect their friendship just like he did? It felt strangely comforting, knowing that he was not alone in caring. “Thanks a bunch, Kíli. I do feel a bit under pressure though.”

“Same here,” Kíli admitted. “Tauriel and Lindir have left large shoes to fill.”

“Frankly, I thought they’d pick Cho or Roger. But I guess they won’t have time, being Head Boy and Girl now.”

“How did that work out for them?” Kíli was curious now. If the Head Boy and Girl choice was merely a formality before, Azog’s escape made it a much more critical choice.

“Surprisingly well.” Fíli smiled. “Cho is quite good at it, even though she doesn't have much experience. Roger is not bad either. You know him. Cocky as ever but he’s the last one to mess something this big up in front of everyone. His pride won’t allow that. They’ve already given us the patrol schedule for this month. I’ve double-checked mine with Gimli and Ylva’s. There are no duplicates so that’s a relief.”

Since they had no homework yet, they spent the rest of their free period reading about Quidditch. This was much needed for Kíli, for his previous experience with Quidditch had been limited to his own role, which was a very individual one. Now that he was team captain, it was his responsibility to know not only how to catch the Snitch, but also how to play his team as a whole. Fíli, on the other hand, was in a much more comfortable position, having grown up watching Quidditch and being a Beater. Kíli, therefore, appreciated Fíli’s help whenever he had any questions.

“You’ll be fine,” Fíli said when it was time for him to leave for his Quenya class. “You’ve got an intuitive understanding of the match. You can stay here a bit longer but I’ve got to run. I’ll see you at lunch?”

With Fíli gone, Kíli found it much harder to concentrate on the books, even though they were about Quidditch. Fortunately, Gimli and Ori joined him for the free period before lunch as a nice diversion.

“The new Muggle Studies class is amazing!” Gimli’s eyes were wide with enthusiasm. “I can’t believe Muggles can make aeroplanes fly!”

Kíli had always wondered why Gimli decided to continue with Muggle Studies at the N.E.W.T. level. It was hardly the most popular class amongst the students. Gimli, however, had his reasoning. “I plan to travel the world after Hogwarts to see all the magical creatures. In some countries, wizards live amongst Muggles. So it’s critical for me to know how the Muggle world works so I can blend in.”

Personally, Kíli thought Gimli’s chances of blending in were almost nil, with his short stocky build and a long beard. He had no wish to point this out to Gimli though because he for one was extremely glad that Gimli was willing to learn more about the Muggles. Perhaps this would be the start of the much-needed change of attitude and culture in the Wizarding World.

“Divination isn’t half bad, either,” Ori said with a mischievous smile. “But I’m sure it’s much less enjoyable than Gimli’s Muggle Studies.”

To Kíli’s surprise, Gimli’s face was now red as a tomato. “Oh, sod off, Ori!”

“Something I should know?” Kíli could hardly fight off a smirk himself. There must be some pretty Dwarf girl in the Muggle Studies class that drew Gimli’s attention, which explained Gimli’s secretive behaviour recently. “By the way, I have decided to hold the Quidditch tryouts this Saturday. You better leave the whole day open, Gim. I have no idea how long the tryouts will last since we have to find two Chasers and a Keeper.”

“Thanks, mate,” Gimli said, his face still pink. “I’ll, er, plan my weekend accordingly.”

Kíli laughed. “I'd love to stay and grill you on your new secret girlfriend. But I’ve got to go and talk to Professor Bard so I can book the Quidditch pitch.”

Kíli’s first class of the day came at 15:45 that afternoon, double Transfiguration. While he arrived early outside the Transfiguration classroom, Fíli barely made it, having just arrived minutes before the class after his double Arithmancy.

“How was Arithmancy?” Kíli asked, more out of habit than genuine curiosity. Unlike Fíli, Kíli did not miss spending two hours each week, crunching numbers just to get a glimpse into the future.

“Great!” Fíli beamed at him. “Professor Gloín has taught us this new algorithm that makes calculation so much easier. I can’t believe how elegant it is. You just…”

“Right.” Kíli had to interrupt Fíli’s impersonation of Ori, because the door to the Transfiguration classroom had just opened, admitting all the students waiting outside in.

Given that Transfiguration was one of the most difficult classes, Kíli was not surprised by the small number of students who had managed to go through to the N.E.W.T. level. Gimli only managed an ‘A’ in his O.W.L. so he was not allowed to proceed. Fíli and Ori, on the other hand, both scored an ‘O’ in their O.W.L.s. There was only one Hufflepuff, Bain, and two Slytherins, Legolas and a girl of Man Kíli had never spoken to. Kíli still found it difficult to believe that he had managed to get an ‘E’ himself. He wondered what kind of difficult magic they would have to master in their N.E.W.T. level.

“First of all,” Lady Galadriel stood from her seat and glided gracefully towards the small class, “I would like to offer my congratulations to every single one of you. It is quite an achievement to pass your O.W.L. with at least an ‘E’. You have all worked extremely hard for such a feat, which I am very proud of. Now,” she paused just short of Kíli and Fíli’s desk, which was the first row in the class, “what we will learn today is slightly different from what you’re expecting. We’re not going to learn any new transfiguration spells today.”

Kíli sat up a bit straighter. This was quite unexpected. What did Lady Galadriel have in mind?

“A major part of your 6th-year education, in all disciplines, will be the use of non-verbal spells,” Lady Galadriel continued with a smile. “This will be a completely new branch of magic, but one of critical importance. The use of non-verbal spells will disguise your intentions from the outside world and give you a significant advantage in duelling, and it can help you impress your friend or date. So either way, it’s a useful skill to have in your arsenal. Now, please turn to page 10 of your textbook and read about the theory behind the use of non-verbal spells in Transfiguration.”

“This is awfully complicated,” Kíli whispered to Fíli after reading the dense textbook for a good 10 minutes without really understanding what it was saying. “How are we supposed to make it work? Just will it?”

“Now that you have finished reading,” said Lady Galadriel, “why don’t you pair up and try to transfigure your quills into a gobstone. The transfiguration itself should be easy enough so you can focus on the non-verbal part. I will walk around and provide feedback in case you need my help.”

From what Kíli could gleam from the textbook, non-verbal spells required strong will power. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kíli found them incredibly difficult. After straining himself for a good 10 minutes staring at his quill and saying the encantation in his head, Kíli gave up because absolutely nothing happened. The quill was still long and feathery. Fíli, on the other hand, had much better luck at it. Even though his quill was nowhere near a gobstone, it was at least shorter and wider with a glass shine. Looking around, Kíli was relieved to find that Fíli was way ahead of the curve. The majority of the class seemed to share a similar fate as his. This made him feel much better.

“Don’t be discouraged,” Lady Galadriel said at the end of the class when no one had managed the task. “Non-verbal spells are not something you can master in one day. It takes practice, patience, and an intuitive understanding of your magic. Keep practising in your spare time. This is your homework for this week.”

“I think you can learn non-verbal spells,” Fíli said encouragingly as they walked out of the classroom, “if what Lady Galadriel has said about the intuitive understanding of your magic is true. I mean, honestly, no one else is better in tune with their magic than you are.”

“But I…”

“I’m not just saying it as your best friend. I’m being absolutely honest. Your Sense is proof of that. You just need to learn to use it more.”

Kíli smiled. Fíli’s words never failed to put a smile on his face. This is what he had missed all summer. The good mood carried him all through dinner. In fact, he was so relaxed that he almost forgot about his meeting with Thorin until Fíli reminded him.

“Don’t you have to go? You don’t want to keep uncle waiting, do you?”

“Oh, bollocks!” Kíli jumped up at once, eliciting a snigger from Gimli. “I completely forgot about it. Bollocks, bollocks!”

“It’s okay!” Fíli said in a would-be calm tone, though he was fighting hard not to smile too. “You’re not really late. If you run now, you can still make it on…”

Kíli rushed out of the Great Hall as quickly as he could, without even waiting for Fíli to finish his sentence, let alone saying a good night. To his utter relief, he managed to arrive outside the dungeon at 8 o’clock sharp.

“Come in.” Thorin’s deep baritone voice calmed Kíli down, strangely enough. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the heavy door open and entered the room, ready to face his impending doom.

“Good evening, sir,” Kíli said, trying hard not to fidget. “You said that you want to see me?”

Thorin rose from his seat, his full height on display. Despite his misgivings, Kíli could not help but be impressed by Thorin. The robes he was wearing was a lush deep blue one bedecked with precious gems, which made his blue eyes even more striking than usual. His thick eyebrows were, for once, not knitted together. His dark hair, tinged with strands of silver, was braided delicately and decorated with intricately carved beads made out of precious metals. His beard, unlike that of many Dwarves, was neatly trimmed, just the way Kíli liked it. He never understood the Dwarves’ obsession with beards long enough to tuck into their belts. Fortunately, neither Fíli nor Thorin followed that fashion trend. Kíli was startled when he found himself face to face with Thorin. When did they come so close? Did he just walk to Thorin? This close to his Potions Master, Kíli could not help but marvel at how different yet how similar Thorin and Fíli looked. It was hard to tell which one of them was more handsome.

“Er.” Kíli almost kicked himself. How eloquent was that!

“Please, take a seat.” Thorin’s beard quivered as he pointed to the seat opposite his desk. Kíli felt his face heat up. Oh well, Kíli thought despondently, if anything, I have at least provided some entertainment.

“Now, you must be wondering why I have requested you to come and see me tonight,” Thorin said as he sat down regally in his chair like a king on his throne. Kíli could only nod. Speaking was a bit difficult at the moment.

“The reason is quite simple. I have decided to give you some extra lessons in Potions.”

“What?” This was so unexpected that Kíli practically shouted his surprise.

Thorin, however, fully expected this response. “I understand your surprise. Given your mark in O.W.L., which is commendable by the way, I cannot take you on to the N.E.W.T. level. The curriculum is significantly harder than O.W.L. level, which will prove almost insurmountable to anyone except those who truly excel at Potions. But,” he raised his voice slightly, “I must stress the importance of Potions, not only as part of your overall magical education but also to prepare you for any situation you might encounter later in life. I have hence decided to tutor you in a private setting so the classes can be tailored to your skill level.”

To say that Kíli was left speechless would qualify as the understatement of the year. Unless he was very much mistaken, this kind of private lesson was extremely rare, let alone from Thorin. It was hard not to feel touched by the offer, especially given Thorin’s increasingly busy schedule. “I…”

“Of course,” Thorin now looked tenser than before, “I cannot give you a Potions N.E.W.T. even if you are ready by the end of your 7th year. I can see how this can severely limit your career choices and frustrate you to no end. For that, I am extremely sorry.”

“No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. Oh, no…” Kíli could kick himself. Why was he turning into a babbling baboon? “What I meant to say is, thank you so much for the offer, sir. That’s very nice of you and I’d love to take private lessons with you. As for N.E.W.T., that’s hardly your fault. I’m the one who messed up and didn’t get an ‘O’ so there’s no need for you to apologise.”

The smile on Thorin’s face made him look ten years younger. The effect was so profound that Kíli wondered why Thorin did not practice that more often. “Brilliant. You’re taking five classes for your N.E.W.T. if my memory serves. That should give you enough free periods to take this on. I don’t see the point of meeting fewer than twice a week.”

“Of course.” Now that Thorin mentioned the commitment effort, Kíli was starting to doubt his decision. Could he survive two extra classes with Thorin with everything else that he had on his plate? It was too late to back out now. “When are we going to meet and when do we start?”

“I am usually free on Wednesday night. We should also meet on Sunday. Why don’t we start this Sunday afternoon, at 4 pm? Here,” he picked up a copy of  _ Advanced Potion Making _ and handed it over to Kíli, “this is the textbook. We will try to brew the Draught of Living Death this weekend. I will provide you with the ingredients and equipment so just show up with your textbook. I would read that chapter thoroughly if I were you.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The news of Azog’s escape finally made it to the Daily Prophet on Saturday. Thankfully, Gandalf had returned to lend his calming presence to the castle. Fíli was the only one in Kíli’s group that had the newspaper subscription so it was understandably him who cried out when they received their mail during breakfast that day.

“What’s wrong?” Kíli almost jumped when he heard Fíli, his heart leaping to his throat.

Without a word, Fíli pushed the newspaper in front of Kíli. Even after so many years in the Wizarding World, Kíli still could not get used to seeing moving photos of someone, especially when that someone was an emaciated yet still snarling Azog. “Bloody hell!”

“They certainly did not mince their words, did they?” Gimli said though without much humour. For once he looked serious. “The most dangerous Death Eater has escaped the notorious prison thought unbreakable by many. Can we put our faith in the Ministry again? Blimey, if the Daily Prophet is not on the Ministry’s side, the situation must be really bad.”

“And it is.” Fíli was frowning so hard that all Kíli wanted to do was to somehow untangle his knitted eyebrows, Azog be damned. “They still haven’t found him. After the most extensive search conducted by Aurors for more than 72 hours, there’s still no trace of Azog.”

“Do they at least know how Azog escaped?”

Fíli shook his head. “Apparently no, according to uncle.”

How could the Aurors let this happen? Kíli wondered, more to himself than out loud. He thought they were supposed to be the most qualified wizards. After all, not only did they only accept the best N.E.W.T. students every year, but the new recruits had to go through a three-year-long rigorous training programme and pass a difficult test to become an official member. Yet all of that proved futile in the face of one Azog. A glance at the Staff Table told him that he was not the only one worried about the situation. Gandalf was deep in conversation with Thorin and Dwalin while Lady Galadriel was so focused on the Daily Prophet that she completely ignored her breakfast. Even Bilbo, who was usually much less affected by the political situations of the Wizarding World, looked pale and drawn, his usual jovial smile gone.

“There have been talks of cancelling the Hogsmeade weekend.” Ori joined the conversation as well. “Nori told me.”

“No way!” Gimli shouted so loudly that several people from the Ravenclaw table looked up in surprise. “They can’t do that! I mean, it’s Hogsmeade!”

“But this is Azog we’re talking about.” Fíli was still frowning hard. “If he’s trying to get into the castle, it makes sense that he would try Hogsmeade first. The professors can’t protect all of us when we’re in Hogsmeade.”

Gimli’s nostrils flared but he said nothing. Instead, Kíli found his eyes straying to the Slytherin table with concern. Was he still feeling guilty about Bolg’s current situation? Speaking of Bolg, Kíli was astonished to find the Half-Orc’s eyes wide as he read the front page of the Daily Prophet. How could he be surprised by this news? Surely his father had tried to contact him since he was free. This could not be the first time Bolg had heard of his father’s escape.

Yet against all the probabilities, Bolg seemed completely ignorant of his father’s activities until now. Either that or he was an extremely skilled actor, a skill Kíli did not know the Half-Orc possessed. Kíli, therefore, could not help but feel sorry for the Slytherin. No one, except Legolas, was sitting with the 2-meter wide no man’s land around Bolg. Whatever his other less than agreeable qualities, Kíli thought, Legolas was loyal and brave enough not to care about what other people think.

As much as Kíli was troubled by Azog’s continued escape from justice, Kíli had a much more pressing matter at hand, the Quidditch tryouts. Sensing his nerves, Fíli put a calming hand on Kíli’s shoulder. “It will be fine. It’s just a tryout.”

“Fíli’s right,” Gimli said, now that he had finally turned his eyes back from the Slytherin table. “It’s just a tryout, and it’s not even yours. They should be the one worried sick, not you.”

This did make Kíli feel better. He was the team captain now. He ought to present a more confident front to his existing and new teammates. “Thanks, mates. This helps.”

Even though Kíli was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by the sheer number of people who turned up for the tryout. Some of them were even first years.

“I thought the first years were not allowed to bring a broom to school?” Kíli hissed at Gimli, who stood next to him to provide moral support.

“They’re not,” Gimli said matter-of-factly. “Look, none of them has a broom. So technically they’re not breaking any rules.”

“But…”

“There’s no rule against first years trying out for the team. They just never get picked because of, well, obvious reasons. But they can always try, I suppose. We better find them some brooms.”

Amongst the first years, Kíli could spot Frodo and Samwise, pressed close together, both looking equal parts curious and nervous. Kíli had to admire their courage. He certainly did not dare to try out for the Quidditch team barely a week after he arrived at Hogwarts. In fact, Kíli remembered that he hardly knew what Quidditch was. “Right, since they’re brave enough to turn up, let’s make sure that they get a fighting chance. Why don’t we find them some nice broomsticks so they can properly fly?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quidditch tryout proved to be much less nerve-wracking than Kíli's first private Potions lesson.

With the number of people who turned up, Kíli fully expected chaos during the tryouts. Yet even that had not prepared him for what was to come. It was utter pandemonium for lack of a better word. Kíli now understood why first years were not allowed to bring their own broomsticks and why they never qualified for the team. The majority of them could not even fly, let alone play Quidditch. To make matters worse, the first years were not Kíli’s only problems. Kíli soon found himself yelling at the top of his voice, trying to rein in the chaos.

“Why do they even bother turning up when they can’t stay on a bloody broom?” Gimli yelled angrily as he flew towards a shrieking Romilda Vane who was sliding precariously towards the end of her broomstick. “I never thought public humiliation adds much to one’s charm!”

“Are you alright?” Kíli felt that it was his duty as the team captain to ask about Romilda’s wellbeing, no matter how annoyed he felt.

Romilda, who was previously leaning heavily on Gimli, perked up immediately at Kíli’s voice and threw herself in Kíli’s general direction. After a quick yet painful internal debate, Kíli opened his arms reluctantly. Even though an armful of Romilda Vane was the last thing he wanted at the moment, he thought it would be a bad omen if he let one of the candidates fall to her death, face down.

“I’m fine,” Romilda hiccupped and buried her face into Kíli’s shoulder, her wild hair tickling Kíli’s nose. “I never thought a Quaffle zooming towards you would be so traumatising!”

Biting down an unkind retort and fighting hard not to sneeze, Kíli extracted himself from Romilda as gently as he could manage. “I… It’s good that you’re fine. Now, I need to…” his voice faltered at the expectant look on Romilda’s face. What was she expecting? “I really should get back to the tryout.”

“But Kíli!” Romilda gave Kíli her best damsel in distress look. “I almost fell off my broom!”

“Well, that’s hardly Kíli’s fault though, is it?” Gimli had finally had enough. “Next time, don’t do anything stupid if you don’t want trouble.”

This time, Romilda did burst into tears. Throwing Gimli a disgusted look, she stormed away, tears streaking down her face.

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

“Honestly, mate,” Gimli shook his head, “that’s why I don’t bother with girls. They can’t face the truth. Sure, it’s not always pretty. But that’s life. If she doesn’t want to embarrass herself, she shouldn’t have come to the tryout just to spend some time with you.”

Kíli sighed. He had no time to think about the matter now but he knew that he had to fix the mess after the tryout was over. Now, he just wanted to focus on the task at hand and find himself two Chasers.

Frodo and Sam, as it turned out, had decided to try their hands in Chasing. While Sam looked brave, holding his broom tightly, Frodo was practically shaking. Kíli felt for the little Hobbit. It must be quite a nerve-racking experience.

“Come, Frodo! No need to worry. It’s just Quidditch.” Sam was smiling brightly as he mounted his broom and kicked hard off the ground. Kíli watched with interest. To his surprise, Sam was not half bad. On the contrary, he was positively spectacular considering he was only a first year.

Frodo, on the other hand, had a much shakier start. Their first task was easy enough, just a couple of laps around the pitch, mostly because Kíli thought this was the safest way to weed out the less qualified fliers after the whole Romilda debacle. Even that, however, proved difficult for Frodo, as he was shifting nervously on his broom.

“Just relax, Frodo,” Sam yelled loudly across the pitch. “You’ll be fine if you just relax.”

It must be a common theme for them, for Frodo relaxed visibly after that. His hands were no longer gripping the broomstick as if his life depended on it, nor was he fidgeting on the broom, wrecking the balance. Kíli was delighted to find him an acceptable flyer after the initial bout of nerves, even though Chaser was clearly a bad choice for him. Frodo's slight build, on the other hand, could be an asset for a Seeker.

The tryout lasted a good 4 hours. By the time they were done, it was way past lunchtime, which left both Kíli and Gimli famished.

“I hope there’s still food left in the Great Hall,” Gimli said as he dismounted his broom stiffly. Apart from Kíli, Gimli was the one who spent the longest time on a broom, trying to keep everyone in order and the Bludgers from killing anyone. “I’m so hungry I can eat Professor Dáin now!”

Despite his hunger, Kíli was still not that desperate. He was, however, extremely grateful when he caught sight of Fíli and Ori sitting on the ground outside the castle, with a blanket full of food.

“We reckon you’d miss lunch so we nicked some food from the kitchen.” Ori laughed at the comically wide eyes of Gimli. Without another word, Gimli dived towards the food.

“Cheers, mate.” Kíli beamed at Fíli. It was hard not to be touched by his friend’s thoughtfulness.

“How did the tryout go?” Ori asked once Kíli and Gimli had freed their mouths of food. “Took you long enough.”

“Not bad,” Gimli said as he stuffed another mini treacle tart into his mouth, whole. Ori groaned. “Oh, Gim. Can you at least show some basic manners? Honestly, I never understand what Le…”

“Anyway!” Gimli said so loudly that bits of the pastry flew out of his mouth. While Fíli was fighting not to laugh, Ori looked like he was ready to be sick. “The tryout went well. We have two Chasers and a Keeper selected. We’ve even got two reserve Chasers and a reserve Seeker. How often do you see two first years make it to the reserve team?”

“First years?” Even Fíli sat up a little straighter now. “Do we know them?”

“Frodo and Sam.” Kíli wondered if all the wizarding Pureblood families know each other. “Frodo will be the Reserve Seeker and Sam the Chaser.”

“Hamson’s little brother is a reserved Chaser?” Ori’s eyebrows were much closer to his hairlines. “That’s a tad unexpected, isn’t it?”

“He did really well, as a matter of fact.” Kíli could not help but feel the need to defend his new reserve Chaser, whom he had taken quite a liking to. “He’s brave, determined and very skilled on a broom for a first-year. I think that with just a bit of training, he’s going to be a great Chaser and a wonderful addition to the team.”

Fíli smiled. “I think this is wonderful. We haven’t seen a Hobbit Chaser for such a long time that it will be a nice refreshing change.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon working on their homework, which was surprisingly heavy, considering it was only their first week. Non-verbal spells were introduced in almost every single one of Kíli’s classes, except Care of Magical Creatures because, as Gimli said, Dáin’s beasts could not care less if you yell the spell at them. Hence it was much better to say the spell out loud and save your life. Unlike Fíli, who had managed to non-verbally cast a Shield Charm in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Kíli was still struggling. It was hard not to feel disappointed because this was the first time that Fíli had mastered the spells faster than he did in Defence Against the Dark Arts, the only subject that Kíli knew for sure that he could outperform Fíli. It only spurred him to work harder. Before he knew it, Saturday was gone.

When Sunday came, Kíli woke up with both a tight feeling in his chest and butterflies in his stomach. It took him a while to figure out the source of this strange feeling. He was about to meet Thorin that afternoon for his first-ever completely private lesson with his Potions Master and, very possibly, his One. Kíli thus felt very justified to have a mini crisis moment of his own. Fortunately, Gimli was nowhere to be found in their dormitory so Kíli did not have to explain why he looked so constipated on a nice Sunday morning.

“Morning!” Fíli’s bright smile did the trick as always. Sometimes Kíli felt that there was nothing in the world that could bring him down as long as Fíli was smiling at him. Even better was that Fíli was the only one of his friends at breakfast, which meant that Kíli had him all to himself.

“Are you ready for the private lesson with uncle?” Out of all his friends, Kíli had only confided in Fíli. He was not entirely sure if Thorin would be pleased if his private lesson with him became common knowledge. There was no way, however, that he could hide this from Fíli.

“Yeah, sure,” Kíli said with a bravado he did not feel. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

The look Fíli gave him said plainly that he did not believe him. Fortunately, Fíli decided not to press the matter. Instead, he suggested a game of Gobstones after breakfast.

“But,” Kíli was caught off-guard: Fíli almost never suggested a game, at least not first thing in the morning, “don’t you need to do your homework or hold a Quidditch tryout or something?”

“I’ve got time for homework later,” Fíli said serenely. “As for the Quidditch tryout, it won’t start until 4:30 this afternoon. We can afford a game now. It’s the best way to start the day, isn’t it? Puts you in a good mood.”

Kíli felt his heart swell at Fíli’s words. His best friend was trying to help him relax, something he deemed more important than homework. He even scheduled the Quidditch tryout during Kíli’s private lesson so they would spend as much time together as possible! “I’d love to, mate.”

Halfway through their first game, Fíli asked, his eyes still on his gobstone, in a casual tone, “I heard that Romilda Vane turned up at the tryout yesterday.”

Kíli sat up straight immediately. Which idiot told Fíli about that disaster? “Er, yes?”

“Hmm.” Even though Fíli did not comment on the matter any further, Kíli thought he could feel his friend tense up minutely. Perhaps he should have explained more.

“She tried out for the Chaser but got scared when a Quaffle flew towards her.” Kíli shook his head. Even looking back now, the whole situation was just ridiculous. “I mean, why do you come to a bloody Quidditch tryout when you are afraid of the Quaffle?! Anyway, Gimli had to rescue her because she was about to fall off her broom.”

This did make Fíli smile. “Don’t be too harsh on her. She’s just there trying to impress you.”

Kíli rolled his eyes. This was just such typical Fíli. The moment he was satisfied, he immediately turned on his saint Fíli mode. Never mind that he was annoyed about Romilda Vane earlier. “Whatever, I don’t know what I can do to get it into her head. I’m not interested in her.”

“She probably thinks she’s got a chance now that Tauriel has graduated,” Fíli said reasonably.

“So? I stopped fancying Tauriel ages ago. Did you see me throw myself at Romilda Vane when that happened? No. So why can’t she see it?”

For that, Fíli had no answer. Even someone as bright as Fíli could not understand girls, or maybe it was just Romilda Vane.

The rest of the morning passed pleasantly, with Gobstones and later Wizards Chess. Kíli wished that moments like this could last forever, carefree and full of laughter. Lunch was an equally private affair since neither Gimli nor Ori were at the Great Hall.

“Ori must be with Mister Dori or Professor Nori,” Fíli said reasonably. “Gimli might very well be out in the Forest, helping Professor Dáin.

Kíli was not entirely sure if he believed that. He still had not managed to get a straight answer out of Gimli about what his big plan for this weekend was, no matter how many times he had pestered his roommate. Surely it could not be about Dáin and his beasts. He had no time to dwell on the matter, however, as Fíli had finally decided that it was time to do their much-neglected homework so they could finish it before Kíli’s lesson.

“Phew!” Kíli put his quill down and cracked his neck. As much as he loved Defence Against the Dark Arts, writing a long essay about Dementors was not his activity of choice. “That’s everything, I think. Well, apart from the non-verbal spells, of course.”

“You may want to check out some books from the Restricted Sections,” Fíli suggested helpfully. “We can do that now, you know, as N.E.W.T. students.”

This was something Kíli had almost forgotten. Now that Fíli had mentioned it, Kíli made a mental note to check out those books later, when he was no longer freaking out about his private lesson of course.

“It will be fine,” Fíli said as he put a placating hand on Kíli’s arm. “Uncle is actually brilliant at private tutoring, trust me. He’s a lot more patient and explains things in more detail. You’ll learn so much from him. Do you want me to walk you to his office?”

As much as Kíli would like to present a brave front, he decided that he would allow this one exception, partly because the occasion called for it and partly because this was Fíli. “That would be great. Thanks a million, mate!”

Once they were outside Thorin’s office, Fíli turned to face Kíli. To Kíli’s surprise, the look on Fíli’s face was not the calm and composed one that he was used to seeing. Instead, he was frowning slightly. “Just want to wish you the best of luck. And, well, anyway, have fun.”

“What do you…” Before Kíli could finish his sentence, however, he found himself engulfed in Fíli’s arms. Acting on auto-pilot, Kíli hugged Fíli back. He could have sworn that he felt Fíli’s lips on his hair. When he looked up, however, Fíli had already extracted himself from the embrace. “Anyway, I’ve got to run. I’ve still got a Quidditch tryout to host.”

Taking a deep breath, Kíli knocked on the heavy wooden door.

“Enter.”

The robes Thorin had donned was a plain black one, much simpler and more practical than his elaborate ones. Once Kíli had entered, he rose from his seat and strode over to open the door next to his desk. Kíli swallowed hard. Was he about to enter Thorin’s private life?

“I do apologise,” said Thorin with a faint smile. “My personal laboratory is only accessible through my bedroom. Do come over.”

This was certainly not what he had signed up for, Kíli thought, feeling a bit hysterical. Since he had no other choice, and prolonging the wait would only increase the awkwardness of the situation, Kíli walked quickly through the door and nearly stopped on the spot.

Thorin’s bedroom was not what he was expecting at all. Unlike his office, which had very few personal items, the bedroom was extremely, for lack of a better word, cosy. Even though it did not have a fireplace, the wall was decorated with pictures of family and friends. Kíli beamed when he saw the picture of a toddler Fíli, giggling and rolling around on the floor with Dís laughing behind him. The picture of Dwalin and Thorin in their Hogwarts uniforms, clearly drunk, with their arms linked and singing at the top of their voices had Kíli laughing out loud.

“That was after our N.E.W.T. exams,” Thorin’s voice made Kíli whip around. The smile on Thorin’s face could only be described as reminiscent, “one of the last few truly carefree days for us. We went a bit mad, I’m afraid.”

Kíli turned around to take a closer look at the photo. The young Thorin still had the same striking blue eyes, long sharp nose, and long raven black hair. His face, however, was much softer, with none of the worries nor the frowns so common nowadays that it almost became a permanent part of his feature. It was hard not to love and feel sorry for the fresh-faced handsome young Dwarf about to shoulder the heaviest burden of an entire race against the most formidable enemies imaginable.

Wizarding photos, however, were not the only decorations in Thorin’s bedroom.

“Is that a drawing of you?” Kíli had to ask because the Dwarf in the picture looked like a squat gorilla with a horrendous haircut.

The part of Thorin’s face not covered by his beard turned slightly pink. “Fíli drew it when he was only 4. It was his birthday present for me so I figure I should keep it.”

Kíli had to bite his lips to fight back the laughter. “It’s, er, a very good one. The resemblance is uncanny.”

Rather than taking offence, Thorin snorted, which had spoken volume of their improved relationship. “Well, thank you for that assessment, Kíli. Now, why don’t we walk through to my laboratory so we can start our lesson?” 

If Thorin’s bedroom was unexpected, his laboratory was so characteristic of Thorin that it brought a smile to Kíli’s face. Despite the daunting amount of ingredients and potions, which was even more extensive than those in Thorin’s office, it was impeccably clean and well-organised. There were two workbenches in the middle of the room, each equipped with a cauldron and a set of scales and other basic equipment. One of them was already simmering with a potion that Kíli could not identify.

“Now,” with a wave of his wand, a set of instructions appeared in the blackboard hanging on the wall, “what we will do today is to brew the Draught of Living Death. I trust that you have already read up on that.”

Even though Kíli was still not a massive fan of Potions, he did spend a good hour reading about the unbelievably complicated potion. He was not entirely sure if he had achieved anything from that, apart from a persistent headache.

“This is to be expected,” Thorin said calmly. “The Draught of Living Death is one of the most complicated potions you have ever seen. Only two students managed to brew it successfully in class the day before yesterday.”

“So Fíli must have done it?”

The rare smile on Thorin’s face gave Kíli the answer. “Yes, and Legolas. Everyone else has failed. Ori was very close but still not good enough.”

This came as a bit of a surprise. Kíli knew that Ori was one of, if not the most hardworking person he had ever met. Yet even that was not enough. If that did not scare him, he did not know what would. Fíli and Legolas, on the other hand, were the best potioneers in their year. “So I’m doomed.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Thorin said sternly. “As long as you put in the work and proper magic, there is no reason why the Potion will not work. Now, you can take the spare cauldron and start preparing the ingredients.”

A quick look at the unknown potion sent Kíli’s heart racing. “Are you sure, sir? What if I mess up my potion and, I don’t know, melt my cauldron. I don’t want to sabotage yours.”

Looking Kíli straight in the eye, Thorin said in a slow but firm voice. “I understand the risks, Kíli. But I have utter confidence in you. You are a true wizard. I will guide you through this and you will brew this potion successfully.”

It was difficult to describe the emotions Thorin’s words had elicited in him. Kíli had never heard such high praise from Thorin before, least of which about his potion-making abilities. After more than five years in the wizarding world, Kíli had finally gained the acceptance of one of the most critical and influential wizards. It felt almost surreal.

“Now, can you tell me what you understand about the Draught of Living Death?”

Kíli took a deep breath and said, trying to remember everything that he had read in the  _ Advanced Potion-Making _ , “It is a very powerful sleeping draught that makes whoever takes it sleep forever. It’s very dangerous.”

Nodding with a smile, Thorin pointed his wand towards the blackboard, “Good. What can you tell me about the ingredients?”

This was not a question that Kíli was expecting. Normally, he just followed the instructions and prepared the ingredients. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Potions,” said Thorin patiently, “is a subject that is highly logical. The ingredients are used for a good reason. For example, why are we using valerian roots and wormwood?”

Now Kíli understood what Thorin was trying to say. “Valerian roots are used in many potions to cure insomnia. Even Muggles use them. Wormwood can also put the drinkers to sleep.”

“Quite. For a normal sleeping draught, one of them would suffice. Those two combined creates such a powerful effect that it cannot be broken by the drinker without outside help. So these are the ingredients you need to be careful with. Their efficacy will dictate the strength of your potion.”

Like that, they went through every single ingredient used in the potions with Thorin quizzing and probing Kíli on their properties, why they should be used in this potion, and how to best utilise them to achieve the desired result. Kíli could now see the benefit of this kind of private lesson. It took them a good hour to go through everything, something that he certainly would not have been able to do in a normal double Potions period.

When it was time for Kíli to start the actual brewing, he felt a level of confidence so foreign in a Potions laboratory that he was sure he could brew any potions. He was right because the beginning could not have been easier. Kíli knew what he needed to do because he knew why he needed to do them. His first challenge came when he had to tackle the Sopophorous Beans. The textbook asked him to cut up the beans to release its juice, which was easier said than done. Kíli’s beans kept slipping from under his knives until…

“I’m so sorry, sir!” Kíli cried in alarm as the rogue Sopophorous Beans escaped and hit Thorin straight in the face. “I didn’t mean to. It just…”

“Slipped?” Thorin, to Kíli’s immense relief, was still smiling. “At least it didn’t land in my potion, which could be much worse.”

“I am so sorry!” Kíli felt even worse now. “I just don’t know how to get the juice out of those beans. They’re impossible to cut!”

“What would you normally do in this kind of situation?”

Kíli stared at Thorin. “I’d, er, try again.”

“But your method is not working, is it?” Thorin pressed. “What will you do now?”

“Er, try something else?”

“What will you try instead then? What will you do to get the juice out of some beans with a knife?”

The answer was obvious. “I crush the beans with the knife, of course.”

Thorin smiled. “Then why don’t you do that?”

“I…” Kíli looked at his textbook and then at Thorin, “but the textbook said to cut?”

“Do you always follow everything in your textbook for your other subjects?” Thorin sat back in his chair and asked with a knowing smile.

“Well.” Kíli could see what Thorin was saying. “I see.”

With that different mindset, Kíli started to experiment more, trusting his instinct and magic when in doubt. The results were completely unexpected. Not only was his potion the best he had ever seen, but he was also beginning to enjoy the process. It was hard not to feel satisfied when his little strokes of genius, not always intentional - his accidental clockwise stir saved the potions - made the biggest difference.

“Hmm,” Thorin’s face was hard to read when he inspected Kíli’s finished potion but Kíli knew that he had done reasonably well. Of course, it was not as clear and pale as the moving picture in the textbook. But at least it was close enough for Kíli. He only hoped that it was enough for Thorin.

“Well,” Thorin’s smile almost made Kíli’s heart stop, “this looks like a fine effect, much better than some of the abominable travesty I had to mark two days ago. It is not perfect. The drinker will not sleep indefinitely. But it will render the drinker in a deep sleep for a long period of time.”

Kíli beamed at him. To be perfectly honest, he did not expect to brew a perfect potion, even though he had more time to work on it with extra help from Thorin. It was still much better than a lot of his classmates, something he was extremely pleased about. What was more, who knew he would one day come to enjoy the process of brewing potions? “Thank you so much, sir! I couldn’t have done it without you! This private lesson is just bloody brilliant!”

The corner of Thorin’s mouth quivered. “Thank you, Kíli, for your enthusiasm. I want you to write an essay on how you can improve your Draught of Living Death and read up on the Polyjuice Potion. I understand that I am doing things a little out of order but this is such an important potion to understand and learn that I want to make sure we have enough time to go through it. Any questions?”

Kíli shook his head. For once in his life, he was looking forward to his next potions lesson. “No, sir. I will do all of that as soon as possible!”

Thorin nodded. “Good, let us meet on Thursday then. That should give you enough time to finish your homework. I will see you at 7 o’clock.”

Now that they had everything settled, Kíli finally relaxed. His stomach, which had been running on adrenaline for hours before, growled loudly. Kíli could feel his face heat up. Thorin, on the other hand, laughed. “I do apologise, Kíli. I have forgotten about sustenance, an unforgivable offence for a Dwarf. Why don’t we…” With a wave of his wand, the time showed up in mid-air. Thorin frowned. “I’m afraid dinner is over in the Great Hall.”

“It’s okay, sir,” Kíli said without thinking. “I can sneak into the kitchen to nick some food.”

Thorin’s raised eyebrows made Kíli want to kick himself. Admitting rule-breaking so blatantly in front of Thorin was surely the stupidest thing he could do. Thorin, however, chose to let the comment slide. “There’s no need. Why don’t we enjoy our dinner here? I can then escort you to the Gryffindor Tower so you are not out of bounds after curfew.” With a snap of his fingers, a House Elf appeared out of thin air with a loud ‘Pop’. Thorin then requested, albeit politely, some food from the kitchen. Kíli, in the meantime, shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

“There’s no need to be so twitchy,” Thorin said firmly. “The House Elves do want to serve us.”

“But…”

“Think about it this way,” Thorin put his fork down and looked Kíli straight in the eye, “did you feel uncomfortable when the waiter in Leaky Cauldron brought your food?”

“Of course not! Don’t be daft!”

“Why?”

Kíli gaped at Thorin. Was he taking the mickey out of him? “Why?! Because they’re being paid. They’re not slaves!”

“So you’re not against others serving you, only when it is done against their free will.”

“Yes!”

“Some might argue that the House Elves are not being forced to serve the wizards. Instead, they are left emotionally distraught if wizards refuse to let them serve them.”

“That’s because they’re brainwashed and magically engineered to be enslaved!” Kíli could not believe his ears. How could Thorin be this backwards and thick?

“Yes, I do not deny that. How do you think we can address the issue then? By denying them the chance to do something that makes them happy, magically engineered or not. Isn’t that cruel to the House Elves? Not to mention that for Hogwarts House Elves, they are magically bound to obey so any such actions from you can have severe consequences for them.”

Kíli opened his mouth and closed it. This was something he had never thought about before. Sure, he never stopped the House Elves from serving him, for precisely the reasons Thorin listed. But he had always thought that this was what he should have done and his inability to do so had always left him feeling guilty. “But we’ve got to do something! We can’t just stand by and let them be enslaved forever simply because we’re lazy.”

“As I said, I do not disagree with you. We need to address the House Elves abuse issue immediately. But more importantly, we need to address the issue at its root. Unless we can break the magical enslavement on the House Elves, they will never be free. That is what we should focus on.”

This private lesson with Thorin, it seemed, was going to teach Kíli something more than just Potions. It sounded silly. But Kíli wondered why he had never realised that Thorin’s many years of experience in not only war but also business and politics meant that he had immense wisdom to offer in virtually all aspects of life. He had to wonder if he had judged Thorin too harshly in the past, believing him to be too stubborn and too backwards, not willing to change. It was hard not to feel guilty, especially since he had committed the same sin as so many wizards he had condemned, being too prejudiced to be able to see from others’ perspectives.

“It’s fine,” said Thorin, as if reading Kíli’s mind. “Life is rarely black and white. I know that sometimes our decisions don’t seem to make sense to you. But trust me, we are all trying very hard to make the situation most optimal for all parties, which are usually numerous, involved.”

“I’m sorry,” Kíli said automatically but not insincerely.

Thorin smiled. “I’m not blaming you. I happen to be quite a bit older than you and have that many years of experience. I wish life is straightforward and we can always do what our gut feels is right. Enjoy these simple moments while you can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the interaction between Kíli and Thorin. I had to invent a little magic about Potions to make it work. And it's always fun to write Romilda Vane lol.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment has finally come.

“So…” The first thing that Fíli asked during breakfast on Monday was about Kíli’s private potions lesson. “How did the lesson go?”

Kíli beamed at him. “Brilliant actually. I managed to brew a decent Draught of Living Death! Can you believe it?”

Both Fíli and Ori stared at him, which made Kíli more proud and even a bit smug if possible. Apparently, he could brew a potion too. He just needed a little bit more time and some proper guidance.

“Seriously?” Ori’s eyes were wide as saucers. “You really did?”

“It’s not perfect. Professor Thorin said that it won’t keep the drinker asleep indefinitely. But it will knock someone out for quite a while alright.”

Ori looked as if he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “That’s even better than mine! Professor Thorin said that mine would only keep people sleeping for no more than a day. Can I go to those private lessons with you?”

It was extremely hard not to gloat in front of Ori. Kíli had been so bad at potions that any small achievements were worth celebrating, let alone such a big one. And it was all thanks to Thorin, someone Kíli just realised that he often did not give enough credit to.

The next couple of weeks passed surprisingly fast for Kíli. Even though he was taking fewer classes than the year before, the classes were becoming much more difficult and time-consuming. The professors were going through the materials so fast that Kíli felt like a concussed duck most of the time. Even Charms was giving him problems. Everyone was expected to read about the material before class and do their own research after. Kíli could now see why N.E.W.T. students needed access to the Restricted Sections. He practically lived there with Fíli and Ori.

To his surprise, Potions became one of the classes he enjoyed the most, apart from Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms. Two sessions a week spent with Thorin alone were a lot of work, both physically and mentally. But Kíli found them surprisingly enjoyable. He doubted that anyone apart from Thorin’s family and close friends had seen his potions master’s private side, which was a real privilege. Thorin’s wealth of knowledge in not only potions but also all areas of magic was simply staggering. Even though Kíli was no bookworm like Fíli and Ori, he still found those discussions fascinating. What he liked the most, however, were the stories from Thorin’s younger years.

“I can’t believe you faced off the Dark Lord in the Final Battle.” Kíli knew that his mouth was hanging open but he had no time to worry about that. He was dying to learn more about that legendary battle.

“It takes more than just myself to defy him,” Thorin said with a nostalgic smile on his face. “But that’s what made all the difference: All of us united together and fought as a team. Gandalf, Dwalin, Lady Galadriel, and I were facing the Dark Lord while Dís and Lord Elrond took on Smaug. Even with our superior number, it was the most excruciatingly difficult battle ever in my life. We were throwing everything we had into the battle, not just Defence Against the Dark Arts, but also Charms, Transfiguration, everything. Yet we were still hanging by a thread. The situation did not change until Minister Saruman joined the fight.”

“But…” Kíli simply could not wrap his mind around that. How could someone as powerful as Gandalf, Dwalin, Lady Galadriel and Thorin not be enough?

“What you must understand,” Thorin said patiently, “is that the Dark side has no qualms to use any kind of magic, no matter how dark or twisted it is. That gives him a significant advantage.”

Kíli frowned. Surely the Light would not fight the Dark Lord without full use of the magic. Why put yourself in such a disadvantage by forfeiting a whole branch of magic?

“The Dark Arts is so named for a good reason. They are incredibly dangerous and cruel, not to mention what it can do to your soul. It’s not something that you want to try. Once you do, there’s no going back.”

“I don’t understand.” Kíli meant it. How different could it be from guns?

“While guns do share similarities with some, shall we say, more tame dark spells, the rest of the dark magic is extremely different. Imagine a spell that boils your blood or wrenches your gut out and turn your inside out. They exist only to torture people. Surely that kind of spell equivalent will not be allowed in the Muggle world.”

Kíli now finally understood why everyone on the Light side was so adamantly against the Dark Arts. He had always disliked anyone associated with the Dark Arts. But that was more of a habit he had formed after being friends with Fíli, Gimli, and Ori. Now that he understood the extent of the magic, he could not help but shudder at the thought of someone using that kind of magic against, well, any sentient beings, let alone a fellow wizard. “That’s just…”

“Yes,” Thorin nodded grimly, “it is something you wish you never have to witness. Unfortunately, we have all witnessed too much of the aftermath of such spells. It changes you, especially when the victims are close to you or are particularly…” His voice broke. “You can’t imagine the horror of entering a house with the Dark Mark hanging over it, knowing that the worst has happened but not knowing what kind of horrors you will find inside. Battles are much easier compared to that. Many Aurors quit. Not because of cowardice, but because they simply could not bear it. I can’t say I blame them.”

Kíli winced. He could only imagine what it was like to witness such atrocities firsthand. How brave Thorin must be to hold himself together and still fight! And to think that he used to think so unkindly of Thorin’s temper! He never even bothered to see it from Thorin’s perspective. Unable to his emotions any longer, Kíli threw himself into Thorin’s arms. “I’m so sorry, sir, for everything! You are the bravest person I’ve ever met! I would have cracked if I were you! I never should have blamed you for anything. That was so stupid of me. I couldn’t have lived my life like this without your sacrifice.”

It must come as quite a shock for Thorin, Kíli thought, for he could feel Thorin going stiff for a good minute before he finally relaxed and wrapped his arms around Kíli. “Thank you, Kíli, for saying that. It means a lot.”

Once they had both calmed down a bit, Kíli finally asked the question that had puzzled him ever since he had heard of the Dark Lord. “So what exactly happened to the Dark Lord and Smaug? I never really understand it.”

Thorin sat down on his sofa and gestured to Kíli to do the same. Kíli only hesitated for a second before settling down next to Thorin. Only then did he realise how much stronger and bigger Thorin was. Despite his height, though impressive for a Dwarf, Thorin had the presence that one simply could not ignore. For Kíli, he felt incredibly safe sitting next to Thorin.

“We have all tried hard to recall after the battle, of course, to see if we have missed any details in the madness of the final battle. Yet none of us could explain what transpired that day. We were fighting along the edge of the Forbidden Forest so you can imagine the chaos. Once the Minister had joined our duel, the tide had finally turned in our favour. The Dark Lord, however, was cunning. Even without his Dark Arts, he was still an incredibly powerful and devious wizard. He was retreating into the Forbidden Forest, which provided the perfect place for him to rally more support or escape.”

“Oh, no.”

“Quite. At some point, we thought we had lost him because the tree branches were blocking our view. When we found him, however, he was beside himself, looking everywhere around him for something that we did not know.”

This jogged Kíli’s memory. Before he could probe more into it, his attention was dragged back to Thorin’s story.

“We did not have time to think or react because he turned his attention back to us the moment we found him. We fought back, of course. But we immediately realised that his curses were no longer as powerful as it used to be. Under normal circumstances, we would have stopped to wonder what had happened. In the heat of the moment, however, none of us did. Before we knew it, several of our spells hit the Dark Lord at the same time. That was when he just, well, exploded.”

Kíli nearly choked on his own spit. This was not what he had expected. “Exploded?”

Thorin grimaced. “Indeed. Trust me, it was not a pretty sight.”

“But how could he not be dead after that?” Kíli found it impossible to wrap his mind around this.

“I wish we knew,” Thorin sighed. “In fact, we did not fully comprehend the situation until we went to Mordor only to find out that while the magic in Mordor had disappeared, we still had no way of accessing Barad-dûr. The only possible explanation was that the Dark Lord was still lingering somewhere in this world.”

Kíli simply stared. This was just so difficult for him to fathom. Trying to steer the conversation into more familiar water, he asked, “What about Smaug?”

“That was at least a little less outlandish. Dís and Lord Elrond were more than well-matched for him. Even though Smaug was a powerful wizard, he did not possess his master’s prodigious magical skills. Dís, on the other hand, is a fierce fighter. Coupled with Lord Elrond, few can stand in their way.”

It was hard not to feel a strong sense of pride swelling in his heart. Of course Dís would be! She was an Unspeakable and Fíli’s mother.

“Once the Dark Lord was defeated, Smaug’s fate was sealed. Dís’s and Lord Elrond’s spells hit him at the same time, sending him flying into the air. He was so high up that he disappeared completely from our view amongst the trees in the Forest. We had no time to look for him because there were still many Death Eaters in the school ground. Our priority then was to overpower and capture them so they did not pose a threat to the security of our students. When we finally went to search the general for him, a good three hours later, he was nowhere to be found.”

“So he escaped?”

“I don’t think so,” Thorin said thoughtfully. “Of course, we can only speculate since we have no concrete evidence, no bodies to speak of. But I believe he died that night because if he didn’t, he surely would have wreaked havoc in the Wizarding World, Dark Lord or not. Smaug was a dedicated Death Eater motivated by Blood Supremacy and a strong lust for gold. He would have carried on even without the Dark Lord.”

“But you said you didn’t find his body.” Kíli was confused. Surely one could not just disappear into thin air without a trace.

“No, we didn’t. But he was in the Forbidden Forest,” Thorin looked slightly uncomfortable now, “a place filled with many unsavoury beasts.”

Kíli shuddered. As much as he hated the Death Eaters, being eaten alive by wild animals was not a fate he would wish upon anyone. Unless… “Is it Smaug who murdered my parents?”

Thorin’s face darkened. “Unfortunately, I don’t think so. The Aurors did some thorough investigation. Not that they had a lot to go on. The Death Eaters hid their magical signature well so there were only traces left in your parents’ house. The Aurors did manage to rule out Smaug, whose magical signature was extremely distinctive. Besides, it would be quite uncharacteristic of Smaug to do something like that.”

“What do you mean?” Kíli was bewildered. “He’s a Death Eater, isn’t he? Of course he could have done something like that. They have no moral qualms.”

“Yes and no,” Thorin said very carefully, “what you’ve got to understand, Kíli, is that nothing is ever this black and white. Yes, Smaug was a Death Eater. Yes, he could be absolutely lethal and ruthless. Yet he was not sadistic, not like some. All his crimes were committed out of necessity, purely as a means to an end. You don’t find messy aftermaths in his wake. All his kills were clean and quick. Your parents’ deaths were anything but.”

Kíli did not know if he felt relieved or frustrated about this. On one hand, his parents’ murder was still at large without any justice brought to them. On the other, Kíli was grimly pleased that he still had the chance to avenge his family, something he had been desperate to do ever since he had learnt of that tragic evening.

That night, for the first time after a couple of years, Kíli returned to the same house in his dream. He was not entirely sure if this was his dream or Thorin’s. All he knew was that, to his surprise, he was a lot calmer this time. The sadness that filled him was no longer as debilitating like before. Instead, he could observe his surroundings. Once his eyes got used to the darkness, Kíli could make out the shape of his old house with the help of the dim moonlight. The photos in the sitting room filled Kíli’s eyes with tears. The beaming smile on his mother’s face as she held up a chubby Kíli’s baby arm and shook it at the camera made Kíli’s heart break. The ugly flower vase sitting next to the sofa, which had the curious shape of a chimaera, on the other hand, brought a smile to Kíli’s face. He wondered if it was a gift from Dwalin as a joke or from Dáin as a completely serious gift.

Once he had reached the upstairs bedroom, the room he had been dreading, Kíli knew that this was Thorin’s dream because he had never seen anything in the bedroom in all his previous dreams. This time, however, he was walking slowly into the room. The first thing that he noticed, which made his heart beat so fast that he thought he would be sick, was the pool of blood on the floor. There was just so much of it. Kíli could not imagine what his parents had gone through to produce this amount of blood.

Forcing himself to keep looking in the hope of finding some clues, Kíli saw some peculiar patterns in the pool of blood next to where he was standing. In addition to the footprints of boots, which were of various shapes and sizes, indicating that more than one Death Eater was present, and other random marks, one particular mark caught his attention. It looked too specific to be caused by people walking or moving. Kíli squatted down to inspect it more closely.

It was larger than a ring but small enough to be a gallon. Kíli wondered if it was a pendant that was dropped accidentally into the pool of blood. Did it belong to his parents or the Death Eaters? It could not have been his parents. None of them would have such horrendous taste to wear such a thing. It had a sword with a curved blade and a wolf, its head touching the tip of the sword, forming a strange upside-down V above a skull. Below that were some symbols Kíli had never seen before, like some kind of text in an unknown language that Kíli instinctively disliked. It must belong to one of the Death Eaters. He just needed to find out who. If only there would be more clues he could gather.

This wish, however, was not to be granted. After that night, Kíli had not shared another dream with Thorin. Part of him was relieved. It hurt to see Thorin go through something so traumatic. Kíli also preferred not to be reminded of his connection with Thorin if possible. He knew it was silly but he just wanted to postpone the inevitable for as long as possible.

His relationship with Fíli had not progressed as much as he would have liked. Even though he was fairly certain that Fíli reciprocated his feelings, Kíli still could not bring himself to tell Fíli, not because he lacked courage, but because he wondered if it was the right thing to do, given that Thorin was most likely his One. Fortunately, with everything else going on, Kíli had little time to dwell on the matter.

With the first round of Quidditch matches of the season fast approaching, all the teams were putting in extra effort in the training ground. Kíli was reasonably confident with his team. Sure, none of them had the brilliance of Tauriel or Angelina. But they were all willing to work hard and work together. The addition of Frodo and Sam also lifted the spirit of the team. No first-years had made it to the reserve team for so long that everyone was curious about the pair of Hobbits.

“It’s frankly a bit silly,” Sam said at the end of one practice session. Katie had nearly smothered Frodo after he was grazed by a passing Quaffle. “We can look after ourselves, can’t we, Frodo? Besides, people smothering us is not exactly helping, is it? I can’t believe I have to tell Katie off for that.”

Kíli smiled at him fondly. Despite their tender age, both Sam and Frodo had displayed great aptitude at Quidditch. While Frodo could sometimes suffer from nerves, Sam had been solid as a rock, playing with full confidence and no fear. Even though this was still early, Kíli knew that he would promote Sam to the first team once Katie left next year and Frodo could take his place later. It comforted him to know that the team would be in good hands.

The Ravenclaw team went through a similar transition. With Lindir gone, they had to find another Chaser too.

“I am a bit worried,” Fíli said during dinner after one of their Quidditch practice sessions. With barely two weeks left until their first Quidditch match, Fíli was trying his best to squeeze in as many practice sessions as possible. “Sigrid is good but she’s too, well, sheltered that I worry that she won’t be ready for the match.”

“Sigrid?” Gimli looked up with interest. “Not…”

“Yes,” Ori nodded.

“Blimey!” Gimli’s eyes were wide. “How could she not handle the pressure of the match? She practically grew up with it!”

“Who?” Kíli was once again confused, a feeling he truly did not appreciate.

It was Fíli who explained, as always. “Sigrid is Professor Bard’s oldest daughter, Bain’s younger sister. She’s a Ravenclaw third year.”

Now that made sense. “She’s too spoiled by Professor Bard?”

“Spoilt is not the right word,” Fíli shook his head. “She’s a very nice and kind girl. She just doesn’t handle pressure or anything rough very well.”

“That’s what happens when you’re coddled by your father and brother. At least she’s better than Tilda.”

“Who again?”

“Professor Bard’s youngest daughter, Bain’s baby sister. She’s a Hufflepuff first-year and yes, Bain was very protective of her but,” Ori shot Gimli a stern look, “she’s absolutely fine. She’s the sweetest girl and she’s only 11. People grow up and change. You of all people should know that.”

Once again, Kíli felt like he had missed something. Before he could voice his question, however, Gimli’s retort caught him completely off guard. “Sure. But I’m not going to be engaged to Fíli and be responsible for the fate of all Dwarves, am I?”

Choking on his pumpkin juice, Kíli spluttered helplessly as Fíli immediately started thumping him on the back. Once he had regained his speech, all he could utter was, “What?”

Next to him, Fíli looked equally astonished. “I agree, Gim. What? How come I’ve never heard of anything like that? You must be mistaken.”

“Am not.” Gimli looked indignant. “If you haven’t heard of it, it’s because Professor Thorin’s trying to keep it a secret from you. But dad told me that Professor Thorin has confided in him that it is a distinct possibility. He’s going to ask Professor Bard and see how he feels about it.”

Instinctively, Kíli whipped his head around to look at the Staff Table. While Gandalf was once again absent, something that would have piqued Kíli’s curiosity under any other circumstances, Thorin was indeed talking to Bard amicably, as if to confirm Kíli’s suspicions.

“But, but,” Kíli stuttered, “this makes no sense. Sigrid is a Man. I thought Professor Thorin wanted Fíli to marry a pureblood Dwarf!”

“That used to be the case, but not anymore.” It was Ori who answered this time. He, at least, looked apologetic. “Nori told me after Professor Dwalin told him. It’s actually down to you, Kíli. Dwarves used to only marry within their race but you have changed that. You have shown them that blood does not matter. You might not have realised it, but you are making a real difference in how people think about topics like blood status and Muggles.”

Normally, this would have made Kíli extremely pleased and proud. Now, however, it made him feel sick. He simply could not believe that he was the cause of him and Fíli being separate, possibly forever. “But no! It can’t happen! Fíli just can’t…”

“Why not?” Gimli had, once again, demonstrated his limited emotional range. “Sigrid sounds like a lovely girl, she’s in Ravenclaw, and she’s even into Quidditch. Surely that’s better than some foreign Dwarf lass that Fíli has no interest in.”

“No…” Kíli knew that he was making a scene, but he simply could not stop himself. “No!”

“What’s your problem, exactly?”

“Fíli can’t because I’m in love with him!”

The silence that followed was agonising to Kíli. He could see Gimli’s mouth hanging open, a chunk of unchewed sausage still inside, presenting a rather unattractive sight. Ori, on the other hand, looked as calm as ever. If there was one person not surprised by Kíli’s outburst, it was him. But Kíli had eyes for no other. His gaze was fixed on Fíli, whose face had turned from red to white to pink. A small smile crept up on his handsome face, making him look positively dazzling.

“I…” Kíli opened his mouth and closed it. He did not know what to say.

Fíli, however, had a much better idea in mind. Grabbing Kíli by the hand, he dragged Kíli up and away from the table with a quick “Excuse us”. Before he knew it, Kíli found himself outside the Great Hall and heading over to an empty classroom.

“Right,” Fíli sighed with relief once they were inside. “This is much nicer, isn’t it? Proper privacy and everything.”

“Er…” was Kíli’s eloquent response.

Fíli smiled. It was one of those smiles that made his eyes sparkle. Kíli felt himself melt a little bit just looking at it. “I do apologise for dragging you here so unceremoniously. Gimli’s manners, or the lack thereof, can be quite a devastatingly bad influence.”

If Kíli had no idea what to say before, he was completely speechless after this. Why was Fíli talking like this? “Are you taking the mickey?”

“What?” Fíli looked equally astonished. “Of course I’m not!”

“Then why are you talking like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like out of a bloody Jane Austen novel! Why can’t we just talk like normal human beings?”

Fíli looked torn between exasperation and amusement, which frankly did little to help his case. “I honestly have no idea who or what Jane Austen is but I can guess the gist of what you’re trying to say. I’m sorry. I tend to talk like…”

“A git?” Kíli offered helpfully.

Fíli laughed. “I was going for old-fashioned, but that works too if that makes you happy. Anyway, I do that when I’m nervous. I think it’s a conditioned response from when I was a kid. I knew that if I talked like that, uncle would be impressed and let me get away with things so…”

Knowing Thorin, this made perfect sense to Kíli, which also made him feel guilty for lashing out at Fíli. “I see. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Fíli said with a smile. “So, are we done with small talks or are we ready to address the elephant in the room?”

Kíli nearly choked again. “I, well, yes. I mean, only if you are.”

Taking a deep breath, Fíli asked, “How long have you been, you know?”

Kíli could feel his face burning. He did not expect Fíli to be so open and direct about it. “Er, I reckon since last year. It’s kind of hard to say when I realised it. I mean, I reckon I’ve always, you know, fancied you. It just took me that long to open my eyes.”

If Kíli thought Fíli’s smile was bright before, it was nothing compared to now. “Oh, Kíli!”

“So…” Kíli knew it might be redundant but he had to ask the question. He had to hear it from Fíli. “Do you, er, fancy me?”

Taking a step to close the gap between them, Fíli was now standing right in front of Kíli. He was so close that Kíli could feel the heat radiating from him. Or was it just him heating up because he was nervous? His mind, on the other hand, refused to work properly. Not when Fíli’s sky blue eyes were inches from his, his long golden lashes fluttering.

“Of course I do.” Fíli’s whisper sent a shiver down Kíli’s spine. “I’ve loved you since our third year, maybe even earlier.”

“I…” Kíli’s astonishment was soon drowned, as Fíli leaned in and pressed his soft lips on Kíli’s, which short-circuited Kíli’s brain faster than anything else could in the world.

The kiss might have lasted for an eternity. Or just a few seconds in reality. Kíli found it difficult to tell when he was surrounded by Fíli’s scent and body. When they finally broke the kiss to breathe, Kíli was slightly surprised to find his fingers tangled in Fíli’s golden locks. He had no idea how they found their ways there.

“That was…”

“I know.” Fíli nearly giggled, a most un-Fíli-like gesture that Kíli found it extremely endearing. “I never realised that kissing my One would be so magical.”

The word ‘One’ hit Kíli as if someone had doused him with a tank of ice water. How could he have forgotten Thorin? How could he do this to Fíli when they were destined to be apart? That was so selfish of him and so unfair to Fíli.

His thoughts must have shown on his face because Fíli asked in a worried tone, “What’s the matter, Kíli? What’s wrong? Was the…” he blanched at the thought, “was the kiss horrible?”

“What? No!” Kíli said without thinking. “The kiss is brilliant! Best one I’ve ever had.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I…” Kíli swallowed hard. This would never get easier. How could it when he was about to break the heart of the one that he loved the most in the world? “I don’t know how to say this.”

The smile had completely vanished from Fíli’s face. “Just tell me, Kíli. I can take it. I watched you fall in love with Tauriel. I’ve suffered unrequited love for more than 3 years. Trust me, nothing can surprise me now.”

“Right.” Kíli could not help but fidget in front of Fíli’s piercing eyes. “Now before I say anything, you must understand that I do fancy you like mad. I have for a good year and I thought this is it: I’ve finally found my One. But… Well, it turns out I was wrong.”

His mouth hanging open and his eyes wide, Fíli looked so utterly stunned that Kíli felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. How could he do this to Fíli, his best friend? “I’m so sorry, Fíli! That’s why I haven’t told you. I don’t want to get your hopes up only to crush it immediately after.”

“Hang on, so you’re saying that you’re still in love with me but I’m not your One?”

Kíli nodded miserably. “Yes. I’m so sorry.”

“But how’s that possible? How do you even know that I’m not your One? I know you’re my One since my third year.”

“I can’t be.” Kíli felt close to tears. “My One is someone else.”

“Who?”

Kíli closed his eyes. This was the worst moment of his life. “Professor Thorin.”

Fíli’s mouth gaped open to form a comical ‘O’. “You’re joking, surely! Is this payback because you thought I took the mickey out of you earlier?”

“What? No!” Despite his dread, Kíli did feel slightly insulted. “I’d never do something like this. And I certainly won’t use Professor Thorin in a joke. I have no death wish, thank you very much.”

“But how can it be?”

“Search me,” Kíli muttered. This truly was his worst nightmare.

“Okay,” Fíli took a deep breath and shook his head quickly, “let’s look at this logically, okay? How do you know that uncle is your one? Are you…” his face blanched, “are you in love with him?”

“No!” Kíli cried and he was being 100% truthful. Even though he had learnt to enjoy Thorin’s company a lot more, he was in no way in love with his Potions professor. “You know I’m not!”

“Then how do you know that he’s your One? It doesn’t make any sense. If you’re saying that he’s in love with you…”

This was even more horrifying than the previous question. “Of course not! For heaven’s sake, Fíli! He’s my professor! I’m underage! This is, no!”

Fíli put up his hands. “Okay, okay. All I’m saying is that even if you’re his One, it doesn’t mean that he’s yours. But I get your point. He’s just your professor, nothing else.”

“Yes!”

“Then how do you know?”

Kíli sighed. There was no way around it. He had to tell Fíli the truth. “Because we’ve been sharing dreams since I learnt about the murder of my parents.” He then proceeded to tell Fíli everything that Ori had told him.

“But that’s… I mean it can’t be… But how…” For once in his life, Fíli was rendered utterly lost for words. This hit Kíli harder than anything else because he knew that the only way Fíli would lose control like this would be that the news was true. There were no other loopholes or logical fallacies that his best friend, the brightest and most logical person ever, could find. No matter how ugly, they had to face the fact. “I know.”

When Fíli’s gaze refocused on Kíli, Kíli could feel his heart break all over again. The look in Fíli’s beautiful blue eyes, now glistening with tears, was heartbreaking. “Oh, Kíli.”

Unable to contain his emotions any longer, Kíli threw himself at Fíli and burst into tears. “I’m so sorry! I don’t believe it but I have to. I mean, this is so unfair! It can’t be true! It just can’t. What do I do now?”

“I don’t know, Kíli.” Fíli’s hot breath sent tingling shivers down Kíli’s spine, a mixture of longing and fear. “For once, I really don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger. It will get better, I promise!


	6. Chapter 6

The next two weeks had been absolute torture for both Fíli and Kíli. This in itself was not unprecedented. Their friendship had gone through its ups and downs. Kíli, however, had never felt so miserable when he was not in a fight with Fíli. Sometimes Kíli wished that they were fighting. This quiet dejected acceptance of reality was much harder to digest and bear.

That’s why I never told him how I felt and why I never should have, Kíli thought miserably. Now everything’s ruined. They could barely talk to each other like normal anymore. Any time Fíli set eyes on Kíli or Thorin, his face paled with such pain and despair that Kíli had to look away.

As much as Kíli was suffering, it was nothing compared to Fíli. Kíli could only imagine what it must feel like to realise that your best friend and your One was in fact destined to be with someone else. Because if there was one thing that Kíli was certain, it was that he was Fíli’s One. People like Fíli do not just fall madly in love with some random person for more than three years. He just had to be. This thought alone broke his heart. No matter how much he dreaded his future, at least he had still got his One. He might not love him. But if the magic of the One is to be believed, he would eventually. Fíli, on the other hand, would die alone of a broken heart while, to add insult to injury, watching his One living happily ever after with none other than his own uncle and surrogate father. Kíli simply could not think of a fate more desperate and cruel. How could it be so unfair for someone as kind and talented as Fíli who deserves more happiness than anyone else?

The only saving grace of this whole fiasco was that nobody outside of their small group was aware of the truth. Even Gimli, who was very fond of gossip no matter how clueless he was, had remained a respectful silence. Ori must have recounted the background story to him. The rest of the school, on the other hand, were perplexed by the sudden change in the dynamic between the two friends.

“Is everything alright between you and Fíli?” Bain asked Kíli during one of their Herbology classes. Now that Kíli and Fíli were no longer partnering up, Kíli spent the majority of his time in Greenhouse III with Bain, something Bilbo did not even seem to notice, to Kíli’s slight surprise and immense relief. “Both of you look a bit, well, sad.”

“I’m fine,” Kíli said automatically. As much as he liked the Hufflepuff, he was not about to confide in Bain something so private.

“Hmm,” Bain wisely chose not to press the matter. “If you say so. I mean, I know it’s none of my business. Hell, I should actually be glad that Fíli’s looking like shit right before our Quidditch match. But if you ever need anyone to talk to. I’m not playing you next week so I reckon that’s alright.”

Kíli gave Bain a small smile. “Cheers, mate. But I’m fine, really.” Partly to change the topic, he asked with some curiosity, “Where did you learn to talk like Muggles? I’ve never heard any other Pureblood wizards use words like Heaven or Hell before. It's always Merlin this or Mahal that.”

“First of all,” Bain laughed. “I'm not actually a Pureblood. I know what you mean though. Most of us who grow up in the Wizarding World know next to nothing about Muggles. I guess I’m spending too much time with Justin. It rubs off on you.”

This time, Kíli’s smile came easier to him. Despite the much-improved situations of Muggleborns in the Wizarding World, especially compared to the treatment they received during the Last Wizarding War, close friendship between Muggleborns and Purebloods or even Half-Bloods was still relatively rare. While Purebloods like Legolas would insist that it was because of the drastically different backgrounds between them, Kíli had always wondered if discrimination, even if just an unconscious one, played some role. This made his friendship with Fíli all the more precious, which was why he was dreading his current situation even more. “Good for you and Justin. How’s everything going? Have things changed much now that your baby sister is in Hufflepuff?”

Bain beamed and shook his head at the same time. “Oh dear, where do I start? I love having Tilda around. I worry for her of course, all the time, but it’s great to be around Tilda and Sigrid during the school terms.”

“Are you fighting off their future boyfriends already?”

“Why not?” Bain puffed up his chest, not looking ashamed at all. “If I’m going to do it eventually, why not start early?”

Kíli laughed, which earned him a reproachful glare from Bilbo. He smiled apologetically and mouthed a quick “Sorry” at his Herbology professor, who did not smile back. Feeling guilty, Kíli lowered his voice. “How does Tilda feel about it?”

“She loves it here so much that she barely notices. Considering that she’s been alone by herself for the past two years with only dad for company, I’m not surprised. The only one I feel bad for is dad. He’s all by himself now and I don’t know how he’s going to handle it. Even though dad acts all tough, he’s a big softie inside. The only reason why he’s held it together for so long since mum’s death is that he needs to bring us up. Now that we’re all at Hogwarts, what’s he going to do with all that spare time?”

The tragic love story of Bard had been told so many times by his dreamy-eyed admirers that even Kíli knew it well. It did not, however, register with him until now that Bard had experienced something just as tragic as Dís, something that Fíli was currently experiencing. “How does your dad deal with it, losing his love all those years ago?”

“He’s just incredibly brave.” Bain looked up and said seriously, “He always has been and probably always will be. Did you know that mum was a Muggle?”

“What?” Kíli nearly dropped his Venomous Tentacula. Marriages between Muggleborns and Purebloods were rare enough, not to mention Muggles.

“Yes. Nan was livid when she found out. But dad went for it anyway. As he said, you only live once. So screw all the conventions and traditions and all that rubbish. Just go for it and follow your heart.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With everything else going on, Kíli almost did not care about the upcoming Quidditch match against Slytherin. His stupor was only broken when he heard the news about Bolg.

“What do you mean Bolg’s not playing?” Kíli stared at Gimli. As much as he despised the Half-Orc as a person, Kíli knew that Bolg was the best Beater on the Slytherin team. In fact, he was one of the few decent players on that team, when he was not pulling stunts to sabotage Kíli or Fíli that is. There was no reason for Legolas, the new Slytherin Captain, to remove Bolg from the team. He certainly would not have done it if he were in Legolas’s shoes.

“What do you think?” Gimli shrugged. Yet Kíli could tell from the rigid posture that Gimli cared more about it than his would-be nonchalance let on. “He can’t even summon a broom, let alone fly in one. Le… Your Highness has no other choice.”

Kíli gasped. He never realised that Bolg’s loss of magic would extend to even Quidditch. “But that’s…”

“I know,” Gimli said. “I mean I know it’s great for us because the tosser they’ve replaced him with couldn’t tell one end of the Beater’s Bat from the other. But you’ve got to feel sorry for the poor bastard. Imagine being in Hogwarts, surrounded by wizards, and not able to use magic to even ride a broomstick. It’s like being Alfrid,” He paused and said thoughtfully, “Maybe that’s why Mister Lock’s practically Bolg’s cat now. You rarely see the evil monster next to Alfrid nowadays. Not that I’m complaining.”

Kíli ignored the part about Mister Lock and Alfrid promptly. Who cares if Mister Lock has ditched the oily Caretaker for Bolg? “But surely he would have recovered by now. He can’t seriously lose his magic, can he?”

‘Unfortunately, that can happen.” Ori, who had just joined them with a Gryffindor scarf around his neck, said knowledgeably. It pained Kíli to see Fíli sitting resolutely at the Ravenclaw table, deliberating not looking in their direction. “That’s why you should never mess with advanced magic you know nothing about, especially the dark ones, even in extremely dire situations. If you try to cast a dangerous spell when you don’t have the magic to back it up, it drains your magic.”

“But we try difficult spells we can’t do all the time. I mean, that’s the point of Hogwarts, isn’t it? How come we’re not all Squibs?”

“Because dark magic latches on your magic once you try them and they don’t let go. So instead of just failing the spell with nothing happening, your magic is sucked dry.”

Kíli shuddered. The more he learnt about the dark arts, the more ridiculously naive his attitude towards it seemed. Apparently, not everything in the Wizarding World could be explained using Muggle logic. He still had so much to learn. “That’s terrible!”

“I know,” Gimli agreed. “Legolas feels particularly guilty. He thinks that he is the one responsible for Bolg’s current situation. He was gutted to put Bolg to the reserve team, probably more so than Bolg was actually.”

That was very thoughtful of Legolas, Kíli thought. A less kind, or guilty, captain would have removed Bolg from the team entirely.

After the two teams lined up, facing each other, Kíli could tell that Gimli was at least right about Legolas. The Slytherin Captain looked paler than usual, if that was even possible, and far more preoccupied. The heavy bags under his eyes spoke volumes of his mental state and the pressure he was under. Being Quidditch Captain and Prefect must have taken its toll on Legolas, who had Thorin as the Head of House and Thranduil as a father. For once, Kíli was extremely grateful that it was Gimli, not him, who was the Gryffindor Prefect.

“Good luck!” Sam cried, jumping up and down from the sideline. Frodo, who was standing next to him, beamed and waved at the team too but he looked much more nervous. Bolg, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found in the Slytherin bench, even though he was technically still on the reserve team. Kíli was not entirely surprised, nor could he blame Bolg, for once in his life. It must be excruciatingly painful to watch your former teammates fly with abandon in the sky while you are stuck on the ground because you can’t even summon a broomstick.

The match was one of the most civil ones they had ever had with Slytherin. With Bolg gone, the Slytherin team had no decent Beaters left. Katie and the new Gryffindor Seekers, Demelza Robins and Alicia Spinnet, were left to zoom freely in the sky. Even though they had not built the bond and understanding of the old trio, Kíli was pleased to see them trying their best and working together as a team.

Feeling confident and more than relieved that his team was executing their strategies faithfully, Kíli returned his attention to his own job, finding the Snitch. It was such a wonderful feeling to fully focus on something, rather than worrying about his complicated relationship with Fíli. With the wind blowing in his face and the cheers and shouts from the crowds below, Kíli felt, for the first time in many weeks, that he could finally relax and just enjoy the moment.

This newly-found state of inner tranquillity, however, was brought to a brutal end when Kíli spotted a Bludger. The new Slytherin Beater responsible seemed more shocked than anyone else that his Bat actually made contact with the Bludger. Kíli dodged the Bludger with ease, only to find it zooming past all the Quidditch players directly at…

“Fíli!” Kíli felt his heart stop at the sight. Abandoning all other pursuits, he sped up straight towards the Ravenclaw stand.

“Where in the name of Merlin’s soggiest pants are you doing?” Gimli’s shouting meant nothing to Kíli. He had only one thing in mind: making sure that Fíli was safe.

Once he was close enough to the stand, Kíli was both relieved and slightly embarrassed to find that the Bludger landed nowhere near where Fíli was sitting. He had caused a spectacle, if the Ravenclaws’ astonished faces were anything to go by, for no reason at all. The only consolation prize was the look of surprise and a hint of a smile on Fíli’s face.

“For fuck’s sake!” Gimli was now hovering in the air close to him with his Beater’s Bat raised high. Kíli wondered briefly if Gimli was tempted to use the bat on him. “Get yourself together! You’re our captain! Now move your sorry arse and get back to the match!”

As much as Kíli had tried, it was hard to get the incident out of his mind. All he wanted to do was to finish the match so he could get back to Fíli, to make sure that he was alright. He was, therefore, both relieved and very grateful when he spotted the Snitch hovering near the entrance to the pitch.

“Oh,” Luna Lovegood, who was the new commentator after Lee Jordan graduated, said dreamily, “it seems that Kíli Durin, a very nice boy - he always says hi to me when he used to sit at the Ravenclaw table - has caught the Snitch. I’m not sure when or how that happened, but there you go.”

“The final score,” said Lady Galadriel, who was trying very hard to salvage the bizarre turn of events of the match, “is 240 to 30.”

“Well done, everybody!” Kíli said, trying to establish himself as a competent Captain rather than a mentally unstable nutter with a hero complex. “That was a great match! I’m so proud of you all!”

“It was bloody brilliant!” Gimli thumped Kíli on the back so hard that Kíli nearly buckled. “Even the stunt you pulled looks hilarious now that we’ve won the match. Come on, celebrations in the Common Room!”

“Of course,” Kíli said absent-mindedly. He did not need another reminder from Gimli about what he had done: it was the only thing on his mind. “Do you mind if I nip out to…”

For once, Gimli decided to act his age. “Of course, mate. You do what you’ve got to do.”

Taking off his Quidditch gears in record time, Kíli threw his broom into his locker and rushed out of the changing room as quickly as he could manage. He needed to find Fíli.

That proved a rather difficult task, with all the students on their way back to their Common Rooms from the Quidditch Pitch. Kíli soon found himself trapped in a particularly surly group of Slytherins, who did not take kindly to the presence of a Gryffindor in their midst.

“Get off me, you idiot!” Kíli snapped, trying hard to shove Crabbe, the Slytherin that he managed to rescue from the secret passageway a year ago. He regretted that act of kindness deeply now. “I need to go some…”

“That’s what you get for daring to show your ugly Half-Blood face here.” The sneering voice of Grinnah, one of Bolg’s sidekicks and the reserve Beater who replaced him, made Kíli whip around in anger. Before he could do anything, however, Legolas came to his rescue.

“What’s going on here?”

“Durin provoked us,” Grinnah said first.

“How?” Kíli was outraged. “I haven’t done anything!”

“It’s more your existence if you know what I mean,” Grinnah smirked.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Legolas said firmly before either party could continue to contribute to the conversation. “Let Durin pass.”

Fortunately, Legolas’s authority as the Slytherin Prefect and Quidditch Captain held enough sway with the Slytherins that they all parted to let Kíli through without another word of argument.

“Er, thanks,” Kíli said awkwardly to Legolas, who nodded in acknowledgement before returning to his team.

After that minor hiccup, Kíli’s pursuit of Fíli went a lot smoother. His fortuitous encounter with Ori just outside the Great Hall saved him a lot of time and trouble of going to the Ravenclaw Common Room.

“Ori! Do you know where Fíli is?”

The look Ori gave him was too knowing for Kíli’s liking. He ignored it as he had more pressing matters at hand. “Of course. He’s in the library.”

The library was, as expected on a Quidditch Saturday, completely deserted. After a quick hello to Dori the Librarian, Kíli headed off straight to their favourite spot in the corner. Sure enough, Fíli was sitting in the cosy armchair with piles of books laid out around him.

“Kíli?”

Clearly, Kíli’s entrance was not as secretive as he would have liked, for Fíli closed his book and half rose from his armchair. Kíli, however, beat him to it.

“No, Fíli, don’t say anything. Let me explain. I need to get this out.”

His eyes wide with surprise, Fíli sat back down. From this angle, Fíli looked strangely young and vulnerable, so very different from his usual self. Acting on impulse, Kíli bent down and kneeled in front of Fíli.

“I don’t know where to start so I’m probably going to sound like a complete arse. Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since, well, you know.”

Fíli opened his mouth but Kíli put up a hand to stop him. He needed to get his thoughts out, however ineloquently, before he lost his nerves. “It’s been the most miserable weeks of my life and I mean it. I can’t stand it anymore, Fíli. I, I…” He swallowed. The words sounded too heavy and grand for him, a mere 16-year-old. “I love you. I know I’m a complete moron but I have been in love with you for, well, it feels like ever. I’ve tried to forget you because it’s just not fair! How can I tell you how I feel when my One is someone else. But I just can’t! I can’t stop loving you, Fíli. It’s different from my crush on Tauriel. This is the real deal for me. I know it! You’re my best friend and the best thing that has ever happened to me. I just can’t imagine not being with you.”

“Oh, Kíli!” The look in Fíli’s eyes was so full of love and sadness that it shattered Kíli’s heart to pieces all over again. “You know that I feel the same way about you, maybe even more. But fate…”

“Sod fate!” Kíli said heatedly. And he meant it. He was fed up with decisions taken out of his hands. “I’m tired of all this. I mean, look at me! I’m not supposed to be good at magic, being a Half-Blood and everything. But I bloody well am. So who’s to say that I can’t change my fate about my love this time around? Because you know what, I bloody well am gonna! I don’t care what the magic says. I love you and I will always love you. I can’t change my heart! Look at Professor Bard. He loved and married his wife even though she was a Muggle and he continues to love her even now, years after her death. This is what love is about. You can’t just turn it off! I want to be with you so everyone else and their mother can sod off!”

His mouth hanging slightly open, Fíli was rendered speechless by Kíli’s declaration of love. When he finally came to himself, a warm smile started blossoming from his beautiful blue eyes. Kíli could feel himself relax slowly. Everything, it seemed, would turn out alright between them.

Sliding from his armchair to sit directly in front of Kíli, Fíli raised his hand to cup Kíli’s cheek tenderly. “Oh, Kíli.”

“I’m sorry,” Kíli said automatically. He was not entirely sure what he was apologising for, only that he needed to. “I didn’t mean to…”

“No,” Fíli said quickly. “I mean, thank you! This means the world to me. You won’t believe…” He paused to compose himself. “I kept telling myself that I should give up, that it’s not fair or right of me to continue imposing on you when you’re destined to be with someone else, my uncle no less. But it’s so hard, Kíli, giving you up.”

“You don’t have to. I don’t want you to! Please don’t, Fíli!”

Fíli smiled, his fingers caressing Kíli’s cheek. It was hard for Kíli not to lean into the touch. “Then I won’t. You know I can’t refuse you anything.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The change in their relationship was so dramatic that everyone seemed to pick up on it. While Kíli did not mind the subtle look of approval Ori kept sending them, he did find Gimli’s comments annoying sometimes.

“You really should wait till after the Ravenclaw match against Hufflepuff before declaring your undying love,” Gimli announced during dinner the next Wednesday, for what felt like the umpteenth time. “With Fíli’s improved emotional state, his form’s bound to improve. Is this really how you’re going to repay Bain for his help?”

“How did you…” Kíli looked from Fíli to Gimli. Surely Fíli could not have told Gimli about their private conversation.

“Of course I didn’t!” Fíli looked equally indignant. He turned to Gimli, “Where did you hear that?”

Gimli’s smile was both smug and mysterious. “You really should be more careful the next time you have your private little heart-to-heart. The library might look deserted but you were not the only ones there.”

Even Thorin, who remained detached from the emotional tangles of the students, had noticed the changes in Kíli and Fíli’s relationship.

“I see that you and Fíli had made up,” Thorin commented in passing when Kíli was brewing an elixir to induce euphoria in his private Potions lesson.

Kíli looked up in surprise. Even though he could not see Thorin’s face clearly from the mist emitting from his cauldron, he wondered if Thorin was as casual about this topic as he appeared to be. “Yes. We had a bit of a misunderstanding but everything’s sorted now. We’re good.”

“Hmm, that is good to know,” Thorin said slowly, though his voice displayed no sign of joy. “Fíli is at a most critical stage of his life that he cannot afford to lose focus. His future, and I do not mean only his career, is at stake.”

Kíli nearly dropped his sprig of peppermint, a useful suggestion from Thorin to counteract the side effect of excessive singing and nose-tweaking, into his cauldron. He just remembered what Gimli had said about Sigrid, something that he had forgotten completely following the euphoria of his reconciliation with Fíli. “What do you… Is it true that you want him to marry Sigrid? You can’t!”

The moment the words left his mouth, Kíli wanted to kick himself. Did he have no filter? Thorin, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed. “I am surprised. I thought that you of all people should approve of such a union. Your parents’ marriage was the last mixed one between a Dwarf and another race. Time has changed, yet our tradition has not seemed to catch up. Fíli, as my heir, marrying a girl of Man, would set a great example and send the right message.”

Kíli opened his mouth and closed it. It annoyed him even more because Thorin’s reasoning behind the decision was something he wholeheartedly supported. Had it concerned anyone else, Gimli for example, he would have loved it. “But Fíli doesn't love her! You can’t force him to marry someone he doesn’t love.”

“It is not so unheard of…”

“I know it’s a tradition but it’s absolutely rubbish.”

Rather than being affronted, the corner of Thorin’s mouth quivered. “I understand your sentiment, especially from someone who did not grow up in the Wizarding World. And yes, we do make exceptions and allowances whenever possible. But sometimes, you must think of the greater good, of not only your own feelings but what your choices could mean for your family and even the society.”

“But…” Kíli still could not imagine spending the rest of his life without love. “That’s your whole life! How can you live your life like that?”

“So you think your life is more important than the fate of the rest of society? We’re in the middle of a serious crisis. The number of Dwarflings has been declining so rapidly that if we do not take actions, we’re facing the extinction of our race with it all our history and magic. Do you want to be the generation responsible for that?”

Kíli stared. As much as he would love to say no, without any hesitation and at the top of his voice, he could not. He understood what Thorin was concerned about and he could see how his relationship with Fíli and even potentially Thorin could affect the Dwarf race. “I… But Fíli…”

“Is my heir and must take his duties seriously. He was born in a most privileged position. With such privilege comes bigger responsibilities. We must be ready to sacrifice our personal happiness for our society.”

This finally explained Thorin’s almost hermit-like lifestyle and the burdens he had put on his shoulders. Compared to Thranduil, who was in a similar situation, Thorin was living like a saint. It was hard not to feel respect for Thorin, no matter how much Kíli disagreed with his view. “It’s just so cruel.”

“That’s what is needed. That’s how we have survived this long.”

“But what if,” a sudden inspiration hit Kíli, “you’ve sacrificed so much and suffered so much that you’re no longer in a right state of mind to do anything useful? People can get so depressed that they can no longer work or live a life. Surely it’s better for society to have happy people so they could be more productive!”

Kíli could tell by the thoughtful look on Thorin’s face that he had given his Potions Master some food for thought. Beaming triumphantly, he returned to his potions, which looked exactly like the ideal state described in the textbook. It was not until he had finished the potion that Thorin spoke again.

“I can see your point. I must admit that I am often guilty of exacting an extremely high standard on everyone, myself included, of course. As I grow older, I slowly come to understand that it can be difficult for people to reach that level of self-discipline without affecting their mental state. I won't say that I've changed my mind about it just yet. But I'll give it some thought.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next month in Hogwarts had been one of the most relaxed ones Kíli had ever experienced. With his relationship with Fíli fixed, his private class with Thorin well on the way to becoming something he looked forward to, and no upcoming Quidditch matches any time soon, Kíli found himself more than content with his life. True, the N.E.W.T. classes were becoming more and more demanding, despite the fewer number of classes he had to take, but it was nothing Kíli could not handle after the O.W.L. year. 

Even the Slytherins, his usual nemeses, were much friendlier. Bolg, who had been sulky and a recluse at the beginning of the term, seemed to be better at ease with his current situation. Kíli could even see him smirking every now and then, which, though not a particularly pretty sight, was a comforting return to normalcy. Legolas, on the other hand, was positively pleasant now. Whenever they bumped into each other, in the corridor, outside the classroom, in the library, or on the Quidditch Practice Pitch, Legolas always greeted him with perfect civility. They even shared a book on advanced dark magic from the Restricted Section for their Defence Against the Dark Arts homework. Kíli still wondered what prompted the dramatic change in the Slytherin Elf but he certainly was not complaining.

Nonverbal spells were expected in every single N.E.W.T. class now. Kíli was still not as adept at it as Fíli, whose nonverbal spells were just as powerful as his normal ones, but he was improving every day, thanks to the constant practice at developing his Sense.

“So can you Sense anyone’s magic now?” Gimli asked casually during one of their study sessions in the library. Even though he was taking only a handful of N.E.W.T. classes, Gimli still spent an abnormally large, at least for Gimli, amount of time in the library.

“Not everyone.” Kíli almost rolled his eyes. What did Gimli think he was, a human magic detector? “I can Sense more people’s magic, especially with adult wizards. But I can barely Sense your magic, sorry, mate.”

Rather than being insulted, Gimli laughed. “Cheers, mate. No need to mince words.”

“I take it that you still can’t Sense anything from Bolg?” Fíli changed the topic into a more meaningful direction.

Kíli shook his head. It had become a habit he had developed. Whenever he was around Bolg, which was not very often since they shared very few classes and even when they did, Bolg tended to shy away from the crowd, Kíli always turned on his Sense, hoping that it would pick up something from Bolg’s direction. Unfortunately, he was greeted with a complete void every single time. Kíli wondered if Bolg could ever gain his magic back.

Gimli grimaced. One table next to them, Legolas was bent over a large tome, writing furiously in his parchment. They had just been set an enormously long Transfiguration essay on human Transfiguration, a topic both fascinating and terrifying. Kíli still had not finished his own, not because he did not want to, but because he could not get a hold of the reference book that Legolas was reading.

“Do you want me to ask him if he can lend you the book?” Gimli offered after Kíli shot another furtive glance in Legolas’s direction. Next to him, Ori sniggered.

“Er, sure.” Kíli had to assign Gimli’s eagerness to help to his boredom in the library. He had long finished his Muggle Studies homework, an essay on the development of computers and the Internet. Kíli sometimes wished that he had taken Muggle Studies. A field trip to the nearest Muggle city, so they could go into an internet cafe, sounded amazing.

While Gimli was over at Legolas’s table, talking in whispered voices, Kíli turned to Fíli, who was so focused on his homework that his nose scrunched up. It was such an endearing sight that Kíli could not help but plant a quick kiss on Fíli’s cheek. The effect was immediate. Fíli’s face heated up so fast that even Kíli could feel the radiated heat from his best friend, or dare he say it, his boyfriend. The upturned corner of his mouth, however, told Kíli that Fíli was not so averse to the idea. Ori, on the other hand, looked even redder than Fíli.

“What’s the matter, mate?” Gimli asked when he returned to their table with the large tome tucked under his arms. “You look like you’re ready to combust.”

“I… they…” Poor Ori seemed to have lost his speech function completely.

Gimli, on the other hand, laughed. “Oh, dear me. You better get used to that quickly. Before you know it, they will be snogging in public with their hands down each other’s trou…”

“We get the point, thank you very much,” Fíli said loudly, his face beet red too. “And trust me, we’re not going to do anything in public, much less in front of you.”

“Why not? I’m not gonna take the piss.”

“Yes, and Professor’s Dains beasts are cuddly fluffballs. No, I want to cherish my moments with Kíli, not to have them magically removed from my memories because of your nonstop live commentary!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Please tell me that you don't hate me anymore lol.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the holiday season fast approaching, Azog had decided to show his face again.

The two weeks leading up to Christmas were always marked with hectic activities. Everyone seemed to wake up at the last minute to realise that they were at least five presents short. As a result, morning posts turned into a chaotic mess, with all sorts of deliveries being dropped by owls and ravens at the breakfast table. Thorin had to leave the Staff Table, which was without Gandalf again, twice that morning to resolve disputes between the Slytherins over the posts.

“Bloody hell!” Fíli’s exclamation when he opened his Daily Prophet nearly made Kíli choke on his pumpkin juice. “Look at this!”

On the front page in a large black and white photograph, Kíli could see the sneering face of Azog, standing right in front of Honeydukes. Kíli’s heart sank.

“Oi, mate!” Gimli said indignantly. “We’re eating breakfast! I don’t want my appetite spoiled because of this scumbag.”

Fíli did not even deign to respond as he read the article out loud. “Azkaban escapee and notorious Dark wizard Azog Gundabad, who has been at large since earlier this autumn, was spotted in Hogsmeade yesterday afternoon. The famous wizarding village was in its usual pre-Christmas celebratory mood with scores of visitors from all over Britain, most of whom were too preoccupied with their Christmas shopping to notice an escaped convict in their midst. He was finally spotted by a hysterical Madam Puddifoot who stopped by the shop to purchase more sweets for her customers. Even though the Aurors were alerted immediately, by the time they arrived, Azog had already disappeared. The purpose of his first public appearance remains unknown but the Ministry urges the public to exercise extreme caution and inform the authorities immediately if they suspect anyone connected to the escaped convict or has any other information. We must stress this. The convict is an extremely dangerous and possibly deranged individual and is not to be approached.”

He put the paper down. “That’s Azog in Hogsmeade, minutes away from the castle! What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know…” All Kíli’s good humour and festive mood had evaporated. “How come they still haven’t caught him? I mean, the whole Auror team is on to him, aren’t they? How come so many qualified Aurors can’t catch one criminal?”

“Because Azog’s a sneaky bastard who’ll stop at nothing to get his sordid goals.” Gimli’s words might be crude but they rang true. “If he’s run into someone, you bet that they won’t live to tell the tale, let alone to report Azog’s whereabouts.”

Ori joined in the conversation as well, his face screwed up with anxiety. “But why is he in Hogsmeade? He can’t be…” He swallowed hard.

“I’m afraid he is,” Fíli said heavily, finally putting his newspaper down, the edge all crumbled up. “I can’t think of another reason why he was in Hogsmeade.”

“Hang on,” Gimli said slowly, catching on, “are you telling me that he’s trying to get into Hogwarts? But that’s mental. Hogwarts is the safest place with the ancient wards, not to mention the professors! Unless he’s suicidal, why would Azog want to come to Hogwarts and get caught?”

“But Hogwarts will be at its most vulnerable state during the holiday season,” said Fíli reasonably. “Most of the professors will be gone. If anyone’s planning to infiltrate the castle, that will be the perfect time.”

“I know but that still doesn’t explain why,” Gimli insisted. “I mean, if he’s taking all the trouble and risks to get into the castle, he must do it for a reason.”

“Maybe he’s trying to get in contact with Bolg and,” Kíli ventured a guess, “I don’t know, take him away from Hogwarts and recruit him?”

“Come off it,” Gimli clearly had a more brutal but probably more accurate grasp on Azog, “what can Bolg do for him now? If it were this time last year, maybe. But not now. You know Azog. He’s a self-serving bastard who cares about no one except himself and his power. He won’t take Bolg on because he’ll only be a burden to him, even though he is his son.”

Kíli sighed. “I think you’re right. But that’s…”

“Bolg’s better off this way, trust me. I know that he’s in a shitty situation and I do feel bad for him. But surely that beats being on the run with his criminal father!”

With all this commotion, Kíli was surprised to see the flyer in the Gryffindor Common Room notice board for the upcoming Apparition lessons after the holidays, which was open to anyone over 17 or would turn 17 by the end of the summer. “Apparition? Really?”

“That’s awesome, mate!” Gimli thumped Kíli so enthusiastically on the back that he nearly sent him crashing face-first onto the notice board. “I’ve been dying to learn it for ages! Imagine how cool it would be to just disappear like that!” He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

After his Side-Along Apparition experiences, which were frankly quite unpleasant, Kíli was not that keen on the idea. One thing that he just came to realise was that wizarding transportation methods were extremely unpleasant compared to the Muggle ones. Yes, it was more efficient to get from one place to another quickly using Apparition. But can’t they make it less miserable? “I wonder who’s going to teach us?”

“Some bloke from the Ministry.” Gimli would, of course, know that. “We’ll practice in the Great Hall.”

“But you can’t Apparate and Disapparate inside…”

“They’re going to remove the Anti-Apparition spell during our lessons, of course.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Kíli could not imagine leaving such a gaping hole in Hogwarts defence with people like Azog on the loose.

Gimli shrugged. “It’s only the Great Hall, which is going to be surrounded by professors and students. I doubt Azog will be stupid enough to appear right in the middle of the Great Hall, only to be stunned by Professor Gandalf, Thorin, Dwalin, Elrond, and Lady Galadriel. That nutter might be deranged but he’s not stupid.”

Even so, Kíli was uneasy about it, so much so that he felt the need to seek some reassurance from Thorin, a much more reliable source than Gimli.

“Gimli is quite right. We have taken that into consideration,” Thorin said calmly. “Given the situation with Azog, two Ministry Auror trainees will join us for the class as well as an added security.”

Kíli perked up, distracted momentarily by this new piece of information. “Will Aragorn be one of them?”

After more than two years of Auror training programme, Aragorn was ready to graduate next summer, possibly the top of his class, to become a full-time Auror. Kíli had kept sparse yet regular correspondence with him until Azog’s escape. Since then, Aragorn had been so busy that Kíli doubted if Tauriel even heard from him. It would be nice to see his old Head Boy again.

“It might very well be.” Thorin smiled at the eager look on Kíli’s face. “He is, indeed, the most capable one in his class. From what I’ve heard, they have even sent him as the senior Auror’s backup partner on the search mission of Azog.”

“So they still haven’t found him.” Kíli’s early joy evaporated upon hearing this. “How can this be? What if they never find him?”

“That will not happen,” Thorin said firmly, his eyes sharp. “We will do whatever it takes to bring him back to justice before he does too much damage.”

“But we’re doing nothing right now!”

Thorin smiled slowly. “I wouldn’t say that.”

Kíli sat up straighter. “What do you mean? What’s going on? Are you doing something to catch Azog? Who else’s involved?”

Thorin held up a hand and chuckled, something Kíli did not realise he was capable of before. “Slow down, lad. Let me answer one question at a time, okay? And please save your questions till the end. Otherwise, I’ll never finish.”

Kíli nodded eagerly, miming zipping his mouth shut. Thorin laughed before continuing. “Yes, we’re working on catching Azog. Professor Gandalf has summoned an emergency meeting after Azog’s escape, during which he reinstated the Order of the Eagles.”

Despite his earlier promise, Kíli blurted out. “The what?”

“The Order of the Eagles was founded by Professor Gandalf halfway through of the Last Wizarding War,” Thorin explained patiently despite the interruption. “You could almost call it a measure out of desperation. We were not just losing the war but also very badly. The Ministry was infiltrated to the extent that you had to watch everything you say. The dark side was gaining forces everywhere; you feared for your life all the time; you could lose your friends or family any time; you could not trust anyone. The only place we had left was Hogwarts. The castle was the last stronghold against the dark tide.”

Kíli felt a chill down his spine. It was very hard to imagine living at a time like that. He could not help but wonder how many loved ones Thorin had lost; if he had been betrayed and had his heart broken.

“In the end, Gandalf stepped up because nobody else would. He started recruiting first directly out of Hogwarts graduates but later from all over the country, even abroad. All the Hogwarts professors were part of the Order. I was still working at Erebor at the time but I joined, of course, together with Dís and Fíli’s father. Dwalin and Balin joined, followed by your parents.”

The lump in Kíli’s throat simply refused to disappear. This Order, this band of brave men and women, standing in no man’s land, sacrificing themselves to protect the last bit of human decency, was his parents’ legacy and exactly what he wished to be part of. “How do I join?”

“Not so fast.” Thorin did not look angry. Instead, he looked half amused, half pleased with Kíli’s eagerness. “It’s only open to adult wizards. We cannot, in good conscience, drag underage children into this kind of war. We are better than that.”

Kíli’s disheartened look must have a bigger effect on Thorin than he realised because Thorin added hastily, “If you want to contribute to the Order, I can certainly keep you informed of any new developments. Once you’re of age, you can, of course, decide if you are ready to join the Order.”

Beaming brightly, Kíli nearly topped his cauldron as he rushed forward to throw himself into Thorin’s general direction. This was so unexpected that Thorin did not even open his arms. So instead of a heartwarming embrace, which was what Kíli was hoping for, what he got was a messy bump that nearly knocked Thorin off his stool.

“Sweet Mahal!” Thorin cried, a sight so rare that Kíli felt bad immediately. “Are you trying to murder me?”

“No!” Kíli wanted to kick himself for being such an idiot. “I was just, you know…”

The Thorin three years ago would have given Kíli a week’s worth of detention. Now, however, he merely shook his head with a resigned smile. “Of course you were. Please do refrain from such surprises in the future. I am not as young as I used to be so I doubt my heart can take this kind of excitement.”

This was so ludicrous that Kíli spoke without thinking. “Don’t be daft, sir. You’re not old. You’re still in your prime! You’re just as magically powerful as you were before. You even look more handsome now.”

The moment the words were out, Kíli clamped his hand over his mouth. What was he thinking, saying something like this to Thorin? He was his professor! He wished the ground could open up and swallow him whole. In fact, had Thorin not stood in the path of Kíli’s escape route, Kíli would have bolted out of the room.

Fortunately, Thorin had remained calm and unperturbed, except for a raised eyebrow. “Thank you, Kíli, for your high praise on both my professional, and er, personal traits. I must, however, ask you to go back and finish your potions, which, might I add, is boiling rather menacingly.”

“Shit!” Kíli jumped back to his cauldron and picked it up without thinking. “Ahhhhhhh!!”

The pain was blinding. The handles were so hot that Kíli wondered if his hands had melted away. He had to hold on though. Despite the overwhelming pain, he knew that he could not drop the cauldron. A Potion explosion was the last thing they needed right now.

Centuries later, or so it seemed, Kíli had finally deposited the cauldron, as smoothly as he could, onto the bench. That was when he finally collapsed. Fortunately, Thorin was already by his side, catching him as his knees gave away.

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Thorin’s soft voice penetrated the thick haze of pain and soothed Kíli ever so slightly. When he looked at his hand, however, he nearly passed out. Patches of skin had been peeled off, exposing the tender flesh underneath. Even the intact parts were red with blistering forming, covered in blood. Kíli whimpered.

“Don’t look. Don’t look. It will be fine. I’ll fix it for you. I’ll make it right.”

The magic that touched his hands were like rainfalls in a draught-ridden desert. Kíli did not know what Thorin did. He was under too much pain, both physically and mentally, to watch. All he knew was that the burning pain was slowly receding, leaving a dull ache. When he finally dared to open his eyes to watch, he was immensely relieved to see that the skin on his hand had grown back. It was still red and felt tender. But at least it was there.

“How do you feel now?” Thorin’s voice was still gentle as he inspected Kíli’s hand closely.

“I think I’m fine.” Kíli was not being entirely truthful but he had no wish to cause Thorin any further concern. He had probably given his Potions professor enough scare for one day. “It barely feels anything now.”

Thorin’s raised eyebrows told Kíli that he was not fooled one bit. “I will wrap your hands up with some ointment on them to speed up the healing process.” The orange ointment smelt vile but the moment it was on, Kíli felt an immediate cooling sensation that made the pain much more bearable. “It takes a while for the pain to fully recede. I can give you some potion for that. Don’t rely on it too much though. It can become addictive.”

Kíli let out a sigh of relief. Even though the pain was no longer blinding, it was persistent and fairly intense. “You’re a lifesaver, sir!”

Finally satisfied with the state of Kíli’s hands, Thorin put them down on Kíli’s lap gently. When he looked up again, Kíli was astonished by the storm in his striking blue eyes. “Please, DO NOT do that again.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Kíli said automatically. “I swear I’ll be more careful next time. I’m sorry I’ve ruined my potion. Hopefully, yours is still okay.”

“For Merlin’s sake!” Thorin stood up so abruptly that Kíli nearly jumped. Pacing back and forth like a caged lion, Thorin’s eyebrows were knitted so closely together that they formed one angry line. “I don’t care about a sodding potion. You nearly ruined your hands! Do you have any idea how I…” He suddenly stopped.

Kíli could feel his heart swell up with warmth. How could he not? Thorin really did care for him. Instead of getting angry with him for being clumsy, which he knew he was so he was not even going to protest if Thorin did scold him, Thorin was more concerned about his safety. “Thanks, professor! I promise I won’t be a clueless git in the future.”

The corner of Thorin’s mouth twitched. “An ambitious goal indeed.”

Kíli laughed. “Well, at least I’ll try not to. A bloke can dream.”

“Right.” Thorin looked more serious now. “I must say that I am impressed, not by your reckless act to grab the cauldron of course, but by your ability to hold on despite the pain.”

Kíli blinked. “Well, I’ve got to, haven’t I? I can’t drop the cauldron. The potion will splash out. What if it gets on your or worse, your potion? That will be a disaster.”

“I see,” Thorin said slowly and thoughtfully. “Most impressive I must say.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kíli turned up the next day at breakfast with two heavily bandaged hands, Fíli nearly choked on his toast. Ori, on the other hand, was less in control of his food as pumpkin juice shot out of his nose. “What in the name of Mahal happened, Kíli?”

Bowing his head slightly because, to be perfectly honest, it was quite embarrassing, Kíli told them what happened the night before in as few words as possible. He had already worried Thorin. He had no wish to cause Fíli any undue stress. 

His strategy, however, did not work. The moment he had stopped talking, Fíli grabbed his hands immediately. Even though he was very gentle, Kíli could not hide his wince. The hands still felt tender.

“Oh my,” Fíli looked as if he wanted to punch his own face if he had any free hands, “I’m so sorry. Does it still hurt terribly?”

“It’s fine,” Kíli said firmly. It was partially true. Compared to the night before, this pain was barely noticeable. “Professor Thorin gave me some pain potions. I just didn’t want to take them this morning. He said it can be addictive.”

“But you’ve got to.” Fíli was now showing every sign of ready to shove the potion down Kíli’s throat. “You’re still in pain!”

“I’m fine, honestly. I took it before I went to bed last night so I got a good night’s sleep. I feel almost okay now. Anyway…” Eager to change the subject, he quickly told Fíli about the Order of the Eagles in a low voice.

“What?” Fíli looked stunned. “Uncle has never told me about that!”

Kíli could not help but feel touched and a bit smug, even though he knew he probably shouldn’t. Thorin had trusted him so much that he divulged a secret to him before he even told Fíli. “He’s never told you?”

“He has told me what the Order of the Eagles was, of course. Every child in the Wizarding World knows about them. But he’s never told me that Professor Gandalf has now reinstated the Order! I mean, this is massive!” He lowered his voice and looked around to make sure that no one was looking their way. “The situation must be extremely precarious for them to take such drastic measures.”

Kíli frowned. He understood that Azog’s escape was a big blow to the community, but he was just one wizard. How much trouble could one wizard cause?

“It’s not just him,” Fíli said with a frown. “Azog’s escape is just the result of a longtime development, the rise of the power of the dark side. Don’t forget, Azog’s not the only former Death Eater in Azkaban. All his accomplices are still locked up. If Azog can escape, who says that he can’t find a way to help them do the same?”

The mention of Antonin Dolohov, the dark wizard who nearly killed Kíli in the fight to rescue Fíli, sent a chill down Kíli’s spine, as well as a dull ache in his chest, where the scars from Dolohov’s curse were still visible. With everyone’s attention on Azog, Kíli had almost forgotten that Dolohov was still in Azkaban, along with hundreds of powerful dark wizards. “They’d have tightened the security in Azkaban after the escape, wouldn’t they? They won’t allow any other inmates there escape, will they?”

“Actually, I don’t know about that.” Gimli, who had appeared without anyone noticing, joined the conversation, making both Fíli and Kíli jump. “All the Aurors are now out hunting Azog. They even have to send trainee Aurors to Hogwarts because they can’t spare anyone else. Who do you think they can send to Azkaban for added security?”

“Where did you learn about that?” Kíli could not help but ask. He thought the information was top secret.

“Er, dad told me.” Gimli’s face was slightly pink, although Kíli was not entirely sure if he was imagining it, with all Gimli’s beard and everything.

Fíli did not look particularly convinced either. “So your dad is officially joining the Order this time around?”

Gimli snorted. “You wish. You know dad’s not a fan of fighting. He much prefers sitting on the sideline and dishing out money to the Order. Can’t blame him. That’s what he does best. Without him, the Order would have collapsed a long time ago during the Last Wizarding War.”

“That’s new from you.” Fíli’s smirk was too knowing. “You used to say that he should have fought like all the other Dwarflings’ dads.”

“Well, I was young and a bit thick, wasn’t I? Someone… Well, let’s just say that I know better now. Not everyone is a fighter and you know what, not everyone needs to be.”

Before Fíli or Kíli could comment on this profound statement, Roger Davis and Cho Chang walked over to them. In Roger’s case, it was more of a swagger, which had Gimli rolling his eyes. The solemn look on Cho’s pretty face, however, prevented any cheeks from Gimli.

“What’s the matter?” Fíli asked.

“Bad news,” Roger said with a grimace. “There will be no more Hogsmeade weekend before the holiday season. Security reason, you know.”

“You’ve got to be joking!” Gimli stood up so quickly that he knocked over his goblet, sending pumpkin juice splashing on the table. Gimli, however, ignored the mess completely. “I still haven’t finished my Christmas shopping! I need to go to Hogsmeade to get, er, someone a present. They can’t do that!”

“Oh, shut it, Azanulbizar,” Roger said impatiently. “Who’s to blame if you’re a slacker? But you’re not the only one who still has Christmas shopping to do. Nobody’s happy about the decision, trust me! Now just go and tell your House. It’s your job as a Prefect.”

“We will inform our House,” Fíli said loudly before Gimli could snap back. “We understand the security concerns. We will explain to the other students.”

Once Cho and Roger had left, Gimli exploded. “That narcissistic peacock! How dare he talk down to me like that! And no Hogsmeade weekend! That’s so unfair!”

“You can’t blame them,” Ori said reasonably. “With Azog on the loose and close to Hogwarts, it would be insane for them to let so many students into Hogsmeade.”

“Ori’s right,” Fíli agreed. “The professors can’t manage all those students at the same time. If Azog decides to show up, it will be chaotic and people are bound to get hurt. Besides, if we have all the professors stationed in Hogsmeade, it will leave the castle vulnerable and unprotected. They can’t afford that when they don’t even know what Azog’s intentions are.”

There was so much sense in Fíli’s words that even Gimli could not argue. Instead, he could only vent his frustration in the sausages, which he zealously attacked with his knives. But there was nothing he could do. Instead, both Fíli and Gimli had to face the unpleasant task of delivering this piece of news to the rest of their Houses. This was when Kíli did not envy the duties of the Prefects.

When the holiday season had finally arrived, Kíli was ready to leave the castle for Erebor. There was little doubt where he would spend the break this year. With Azog on the run, the Muggle orphanage was out of the question. Kíli, however, had secured Thorin’s promise to keep the orphanage under his protection. Most of the professors had volunteered to stay in the castle to give it extra security. Kíli would have loved to do the same but Thorin insisted that he return to Erebor with Fíli.

“It is the safest place in the world, just as much as Hogwarts, if not more so,” Thorin said with a hint of pride in his tone. “The magic protecting Erebor is not only powerful but also distinctly Dwarfish. Very few wizards can break it by themselves. Dís will be there too and I feel a lot safer for you to go back there with all the other Dwarves ready to protect you if Azog does come knocking.”

As much as Kíli agreed with Thorin’s logic, the idea of spending the entire holiday season without seeing his Potions professor left him with a void inside that almost startled him. Had he truly grown so used to Thorin’s presence? “Okay, but can’t we return to Hogwarts a couple of days earlier? It will be nice to start our lessons before the return of the horde.”

Thorin smiled. “I am pleased with your thirst for knowledge. We’ll see. For now, just go and enjoy your holidays.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The upcoming holiday season came as a welcome respite from the chaos of the school and the Wizarding World. Dís went to pick Fíli and Kíli up directly from Platform 9¾.

“We’re heading straight home!” Dís’s voice sounded muffled to Kíli, who found his chest pressed firmly against Dís’s head. It seemed only yesterday when Dís saw them off at the same place before their first train ride to Hogwarts. Now Kíli was even taller than her.

“Give Kíli a break, mum!” Fíli’s laughter finally released Kíli from Dís’s death grip.

“Protecting your boyfriend, aren’t you?” Dís’s mischievous wink sent both Fíli and Kíli into a blushing contest. “How boys grow! The moment they meet their sweetheart, they completely forget about their poor mother!”

“Mum!” Fíli moaned. Kíli, on the other hand, was more curious than embarrassed. “How do you…”

“Oh, my dear, you’re not exactly keeping that a secret, are you? I think half the school knows, let alone my source.”

“But…” Kíli nearly asked if her source was Thorin. Somehow the idea of Thorin knowing his relationship with Fíli was the last thing Kíli wanted. He had no time to ask though because Dwalin and Nori had approached them with Ori and Gimli trailing behind him.

“Everything alright, laddie?” Dwalin’s booming voice never failed to bring a big smile on Kíli’s face. He had missed his Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. With Quidditch Captaincy, his new relationship with Fíli, and the extra Potions lessons with Thorin, Kíli had not found much time to spend with Dwalin outside the class. “Are you coming with us to Erebor, sir?”

“Yes, laddie. But I’m not staying.” Dwalin smiled and ruffled Kíli’s hair fondly. “My job is to escort ya all to Erebor before I return to the castle. Now, let’s not dawdle and get a move on.”

After a Side-Along Apparition, with Dwalin taking both Kíli and Gimli, they arrived at Erebor without incident. True to his words, Dwalin left almost immediately without even a cup of tea that Dís offered to make him. Nori, on the other hand, stayed behind.

“I’m pretty useless with defensive magic, and offence too. They’ve got enough people in Hogwarts to protect the castle. I figure I should spend the holiday season with Ori.”

Kíli grinned. He never knew if he should take Nori seriously. Even though Nori was only the Divination professor, he found it hard to believe that he was a mediocre wizard, probably because he liked Nori. “I’m sure you’re more than enough for those Death Eaters, sir.” 

“Indeed he is.” Dís smiled. “Why don’t you stay for a cup of tea, Nori? No need to hurry. I’m sure Ori wouldn't mind some cake either.”

“Oh, my dearest Dís,” Nori sighed theatrically when he saw an opera cake floating into the sitting room. “You’re a Mahal-send. I will forever curse the day when Vilir spotted you and swept you off your feet.”

Dís laughed. Kíli could feel his mouth water as Dís passed them slices of the scrumptious opera cake. The moment he bit into it, he practically moaned. The almond, coffee, and chocolate complemented each other so well that it was a marriage made in heaven. He was not the only one in bliss. Both Fíli and Ori had their eyes closed while Nori seemed to have entered into a trance, his eyes unfocused and his mouth hanging slightly open.

“The Dark forces are gathering, they who have been suppressed for so long. ” Nori’s words made everyone jump. He spoke in such a deep hoarse voice, so different from his normal cheerful one, that Kíli wondered if there was something funny in the cake. “The Dark Lord will rise again. His power will be unparalleled. The whole world will fall unless the Chosen One, who is not yet ready, can defeat him, once and for all.”

An absolute silence… After a good minute, Nori shook violently before his eyes finally cleared. “Everything alright?” He asked in his normal voice.

“Er, you just…” Kíli did not know how to describe it. Was this a prank?

Dís looked deeply troubled. “I… Well, why don’t you finish your cake and tea? We will talk later.”

“What on earth was that all about?” Kíli asked after Dís rushed Nori out of the room the moment he was done eating.

“I think,” said Ori in a low voice, “that Nori has just made a true prophecy.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other than the incident with Nori, which Dís insisted was no big deal - “Loads of prophecies are made and not fulfilled. The Department of Mystery has a room filled with them. People can’t live their normal lives if all the prophecies made turn out to be true. I’ve informed Thorin and Gandalf about it, of course, but there’s absolutely nothing for you to worry about.” - the days leading up to Christmas in Erebor was uneventful. Kíli spent them doing absolutely nothing unless one counts snogging Fíli every spare second he had got and staring dreamily at him the rest of the time as doing something. Fíli, on the other hand, was in much better control of his emotions, as he at least managed to get some of his homework done when his mouth was not occupied with other, in Kíli’s opinion, more important tasks.

“That’s typical Fíli for you,” Gimli said lazily as he picked up his Queen and put it down on the chessboard. Once its tiny feet had touched the chessboard, Gimli’s Queen sprinted across the board towards Kíli’s Knight. Before Kíli could even say a word, the Queen raised its white staff and stabbed Kíli’s Knight with way too much enthusiasm and joy than was appropriate in Kíli’s opinion. “He might be in love and everything but you bet he’s going to finish his bloody homework.”

“That’s not fair.” Kíli’s pawn was trying desperately to escape his clutch so Kíli would not put him somewhere to be butchered. “Fíli’s just very responsible. He’s the most reliable, the most considerate, the kindest…”

“Okay, okay,” Gimli raised a hand with a laugh, “I get it. You think the sun shines out of Fíli’s arse. We all know that. No need to make the rest of us lose our breakfast with your sickly sweetness.”

“One day, one day, Gimli,” Kíli smiled, giving up on the chess game altogether. There was no point to play when he spent more time staring at Fíli, who was sitting at the table, reading whatever tome that caught his fancy at the moment, than the chessboard, “You’ll find someone you love and you’ll end up eating all your words.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas at Erebor

Thorin only turned up in Erebor on Christmas Eve right before dinner but without Dwalin and Balin this time.

“They have volunteered to stay in the castle since they have no other family,” Thorin said when Kíli asked. “Gandalf let anyone with a family take the evening and tomorrow off so we can spend it with our families. But all those without families outside Hogwarts are staying in the castle, including Gandalf himself. That should give the castle enough protection.”

“Has Azog made any attempts to infiltrate the castle?” Fíli was more concerned about Hogwarts security than Kíli, who could not help but wish to have Dwalin spend Christmas with them.

Thorin shook his head. “Nothing unusual so far. We are, of course, staying extremely vigilant. But there has been no attempt, successful one or not, around Hogwarts. Even Hogsmeade has been unusually quiet. We don’t know where Azog is but we doubt that he’s anywhere close to the castle.”

“Maybe he’s finally come to his senses and realised that his best strategy is to lay low,” Kíli said hopefully. “I mean, we’re bound to catch him, aren’t we? Might as well get out while he still can.”

Neither Thorin nor Dís looked as optimistic. “Azog is planning something, I’m sure of it. He wouldn’t have turned up in Hogsmeade otherwise. We just don’t know what.”

“What you’ve got to understand, Kíli,” said Dís, her usual smile gone, “is that Azog is different now. Being locked in Azkaban for more than a year changes people. Given what Azog has done, he’s bound to be in one of those high-security cells within the closest proximity to the Dementors. That kind of exposure, it changes you. There’s no other way around it. He’s going to be more unhinged than before, more reckless.”

“In other words, less likely to go into hiding quietly,” Fíli finished Dís’s words with a frown. “This is not good.”

With this ominous atmosphere, it was perhaps not surprising that the festive feeling was a bit dampened during dinner. Kíli thus deemed it his highest priority to lighten up the mood. His attempt at jokes, though feeble and awkward, still gained grins and laughs from the rest of the table, most likely out of sympathy for his effort.

When Kíli woke up the next morning, it took him a moment to gain his bearings. The room that he stayed in, the same one that had effectively become his own room in Erebor, was still shrouded in the predawn darkness. Kíli was, therefore, a little bewildered as to what woke him up at this early hour, until…

“I thought I’d give you an early Christmas present.” Fíli’s soft and almost throaty voice sent a shiver down Kíli’s spine and quite a few butterflies inside his stomach. Turning his head to the side, Kíli could barely make out Fíli’s shape, let alone his features. It did not matter, however. Fíli’s mere presence was enough.

“What do you have in mind?” A question that would have been flirty had it been uttered at a different time and by someone else such as Roger Davis came out all raspy and croaky. Fíli, however, did not mind the slightest. “Close your eyes. It’s a surprise.”

The next thing that Kíli felt was sensation overload. Fíli’s soft lips on his own were overwhelming enough. Added with Fíli’s hand on his arms, his hair tickling his face and shoulders, and his legs touching and burning, Kíli felt lightheaded because he simply did not have enough blood in either end.

Had it not been for the need to breathe to stay alive, Kíli was certain that they would never have parted lips. He blamed his strange urge to giggle on the lack of oxygen. Fíli, on the other hand, was much more in control of his emotions. Dawn was now upon them, shedding just enough light for Kíli to see the content and radiant smile on Fíli’s face. Even though Kíli could not see his own face, he was fairly certain that his expression mirrored Fíli's, except sillier.

“I better go,” Fíli said even though he had made no effort to move away from Kíli. “It’s almost time for mum and uncle to wake up. I don’t think they’d appreciate me sneaking out of your room.”

The thought of the look on Thorin’s face if he were to witness that was enough to put any romantic thoughts out of Kíli’s mind. It must have shown on his face, for Fíli raised an eyebrow. To cover up his mistakes, Kíli quickly changed the subject. “So, did you get me a real present? Not that I don’t like this one.” He quickly clarified. “I love it! It’s the best thing ever. Honestly! But, you know…” He trailed off lamely, wishing he could just vanish.

Fíli finally took pity on him. “Of course I did, silly. Now, I really should go. I’ll see you in a moment then.”

The moment Fíli left the room, Kíli buried his head under the pillow and groaned. What a brilliant way for him to ruin the moment! Everything was going perfectly and he had to think about Thorin! Why? He should not feel guilty about spending time with Fíli. They were teenagers in love! Isn’t that what people do when they’re in love? Yet somehow, the sense of guilt kept growing inside him. Trying his best to squash the feeling, Kíli closed his eyes resolutely and tried to go back to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he had to close it immediately because of the bright sunlight shining through the windows. A soft laugh next to him announced Dís’s presence. “Time to wake up, Kíli. It’s 10 already. Breakfast is ready.”

Kíli fully expected to find Fíli and Thorin at the breakfast table. Yet to his surprise, the table was empty safe for the food.

“Fíli has already finished his breakfast and has gone to the library,” Dís explained as if that was the most natural thing to do on Christmas Day, which, come to think of it, it probably was for Fíli. “Thorin has left to visit the families in Erebor. It’s part of his duty as the leader of Dwarves, to go and see how they are doing during the holiday season. He’ll probably be at it all day.”

That made sense. Kíli often wondered how Thorin managed to juggle so many responsibilities at the same time. He supposed that there was nothing a workaholic attitude and a complete disregard for one’s health can’t achieve. The way it was going, Fíli was heading in that direction too.

Once breakfast was over, Kíli went to find Fíli in the library immediately. It was not his ideal place to spend Christmas Day but as long as Fíli was there, he was not complaining. Fíli did not seem to mind it either if his draped arm around Kíli’s shoulder and the occasional kisses on Kíli’s cheeks were anything to go by.

When Kíli woke up on Boxing Day, Thorin had already left Erebor. It was hard not to feel disappointed. He barely had time to speak to Thorin the day before.

“He had to go,” Dís said almost apologetically. “Dwalin floo-called him an hour ago and asked him to come right away.”

Kíli’s panic sense flared up immediately. “Is everything okay? Has something happened?”

Instead of telling a white lie, Dís gave Kíli the frank truth, which he appreciated immensely. “I don’t know. But I can’t pretend that it’s nothing. Dwalin knows that it’s only just Boxing Day and how much my brother cares about his family. He wouldn’t have contacted him had it not been absolutely necessary.”

“But Professor Dwalin looks fine, right? He didn’t have,” Kíli hesitated, “blood on him or something, did he?”

“Oh no! He looked absolutely fine. I don’t think he had been fighting.”

That put Kíli slightly more at ease. He was, however, more preoccupied throughout the morning than he would have liked for a relaxing holiday. Even the presence of Fili, which was intoxicating as ever, did not lift his mood much. This constant state of uncertainty was agonising to him.

Kíli was finally put out of his misery that afternoon in a most brutal manner.

“Sweet Mahal,” Dís exclaimed when Thorin crashed out of the fireplace soon after the afternoon tea. Before she could even utter another word, Thorin strode past her and headed straight for Kíli.

“What on earth…”

“I need to speak to you, now.” Despite the grave look on his face, Thorin’s voice was surprisingly gentle. “Let’s go to my study. We shall not be disturbed there.”

With so many questions ready to burst out of him, Kíli paid Thorin’s study, a much more lavish yet equally functional version of the one in Hogwarts, almost no attention. He had his eyes on Thorin only, trying to decipher the message he was about to deliver.

Once they were both inside the study, Thorin closed the door and turned to Kíli. “Why don’t you sit…”

“Please, sir.” Kíli had no time for subtlety or indeed manners now. “Just tell me what has happened.”

Thorin closed his eyes and sighed, which made Kíli’s heart sink to the pit of his stomach. This can’t be good. “I'm sorry but I don’t know how to put this gently, Kíli. There has been an attack.”

Kíli gasped. “Azog?”

Thorin nodded, his eyes now sharp and fixed on Kíli, his eyebrows still knitted together. “We cannot think of anyone else. It has his signature in every detail. He’s the only one with the motivation too.”

“Who’s been attacked?” Kíli was almost too afraid to ask. Please don’t let it be someone he knows!

Taking a deep breath, Thorin took a step closer to Kíli and said, “the Muggle orphanage.”

His legs must have collapsed, for Kíli found himself almost on the floor with Thorin next to him, holding him up. He wanted to thank his Potions professor but nothing came out when he opened his mouth. Nor could he get up because all his limbs felt completely numb. Belatedly he realised that he was shaking so uncontrollably that Thorin had to hold his hand to stabilise him.

“Breathe, Kíli, breathe.” Thorin’s tone was firm but full of understanding and compassion. His other hand was massaging firm and comforting circles on Kíli’s back, trying to help him to come back to himself. “Just look at me and breathe deeply.”

Kíli tried his best to employ the meditation method that had helped him so much in Occlumency. All he needed to do is to block everything else so he could regain control of himself. He needed to pull himself together. Staring straight into Thorin’s deep blue eyes, Kíli found himself slowly drawn into their bottomless depths that his breathing began to ease.

As Thorin waited patiently, which Kíli was extremely grateful for, Kíli finally felt capable of speech. The first thing he asked was, naturally, “Is everybody okay? How did the attack happen? I thought…” He caught himself quickly. The last thing he wanted Thorin to think was that he was accusing him, not after everything Thorin had done for him.

“It happened when they went out of the orphanage to visit one of your friends’,” Thorin’s face scrunched up in an effort to remember, “football club. They were attacked the moment they were outside the boundary of my protective spells. It’s partially my fault too. I should have extended the sphere of the spell, or put it on their person, not just the orphanage.”

This was the last thing Kíli wanted. “No, sir. This is not your fault at all! It sounds like Azog’s been waiting for them. He would have gotten to them in the end. You’ve done everything you could. You didn’t even have to protect them.”

“Of course I would have protected them. I have been keeping an eye out on them ever since I started sending them money. They’re your family! How can I leave them exposed in the Muggle world when anything that happens to them would break your heart?”

His mouth gaping open, Kíli had to blink a couple of times to get the moisture out of his eyes. What had he done to deserve someone like Thorin? Yet in the face of everything, this piece of information, which would have shocked him and prompted a million questions from him, would have to wait now. He needed to stay strong for what was to come, for he knew that it would not be good. Thorin would not have avoided the question otherwise. “So who’s hurt?”

Thorin sighed again and rubbed his forehead, looking careworn. “Some of your friends are hurt. But we don’t think any of it will be permanent damage. The cook of the orphanage, Lily Potter, is hurt much worse. She has used herself to shield her charges.”

This time tears did fall down his cheeks. This sounded exactly like Mrs Potter, who would have done everything to protect one of the children without batting an eyelash. “Is she going to be okay?”

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Thorin said honestly. “I don’t want to get your hopes up too high because you never know with injuries caused by Dark Magic and she’s a Muggle. But we think she should be fine after some lengthy treatment. All of them are in St Mungo's.”

Kíli finally let out a sigh of relief, only to catch himself at the solemn look on Thorin’s face. “Who else’s hurt?”

Thorin swallowed hard. “Ms McGonagall was killed.”

Kíli shook his head. No, that’s impossible! Madam McGonagall can’t be dead. She’s always been so strong, so fierce, and so dependable that she’s the one shielding them all and she always will be. People like her don’t die at the hands of someone like Azog. 

“I’m so sorry, Kíli.” Thorin’s hand felt warm, almost burning, on Kíli’s back. “She was an extremely brave woman. She died protecting the girl, Ginny Weasley.”

This fact alone made Kíli realise that it was real. Just like Mrs Potter and maybe more so, Madam McGonagall would have given up her life for her children, for they were her children, in all but names. That was just the type of person that she was. This, however, did not make the news any easier to bear. “Oh, no, no, no!”

The next thing he knew, Kíli found his face pressed firmly against Thorin’s chest. The steady and strong heartbeats were a godsend for Kíli, who was on the verge of hyperventilation. Thorin’s baritone voice helped too, even though Kíli could not hear what he was saying through the ringing in his ears. All he knew was that it was slowly calming his shallow breathing.

“... be alright.” When Kíli finally calmed down enough to sense the outside world, he looked up and saw, through the tears still in his eyes, the softest look he had ever seen on Thorin’s face. When their eyes locked, Kíli could see the understanding in Thorin’s blue eyes. “Will it always hurt so much?”

Thorin’s hand, which was resting on the back on Kíli’s hand, tightened. “It will get a little bit better with each passing day. You will find that you can breathe a little bit easier as time goes by. But it will never stop hurting completely, I’m afraid. Things like this leave a hole in your heart. It might heal eventually but the scar will always be there. In the end, it will become a dull ache instead of a stabbing pain.”

Only someone who had experienced true loss could speak such honest words, Kíli thought numbly. He wondered how many times Thorin’s heart had been broken in the Last Wizarding War, how many loved ones he had lost. “Is that how you felt after you saw my parents, you know, murdered?”

The look in Torin’s eyes turned distant. When he spoke, it was as if he were in a trance. “It was the worst day of my life. I know that Dwalin has suffered from that fateful night every single day since but I…” His voice nearly broke in a rare open display of vulnerability. But with his steely resolve, Thorin pulled himself together. “We have all lost someone truly dear to us in that brutal war. I personally do not know anyone who has survived the war unscathed. I must admit that my will was almost broken after that night. Had it not been Dís’s support and my grandfather’s quickly deteriorating health, both physically and mentally, I doubt I would have moved on from that incident any time soon. It never leaves me though.”

That Kíli only knew too well. “I’m so sorry, sir.”

Thorin smiled sadly. “Thank you, Kíli. But I am the one who should apologise. I failed to save your parents, just like I have failed so many others. But I have always hoped that with all our sacrifices and loss during the last war, you would never have to experience any of that, that you would grow up like any ordinary children, carefree and full of laughter. It seems that we have failed you.”

Shaking his head vehemently, Kíli said, “No, you haven’t. Without you, we’d all be living under the terror of the Dark Lord, if we’re lucky enough to survive. You’ve done your part of the job, magnificently if I may add. Now it’s our turn to finish it.” He clenched his fists so hard that they hurt. He did not care though. “And I swear, I will get the bastard! I will make Azog pay! I will avenge Madam McGonagall just like I will avenge my parents!”

Instead of telling him that he was too young to fight, too naive to think that he stood a chance, Thorin simply nodded. “I understand. And I will help you in your quest in every way I can. Just,” he hesitated, a gesture so uncharacteristic of Thorin that Kíli said quickly. “Please, sir. You can tell me anything. I really trust and value your opinion. I know I may not like it but it’s usually good advice. I promise I’ll always listen.”

The faint smile on Thorin’s face lifted the suffocating weight on Kíli’s heart, if only slightly. “I am glad to hear that, Kíli. I know that I have not always been very fair to you, especially when you first arrived at the castle. But you have surpassed my wildest imagination. You have grown so much. In any case, what I’m trying to say is, don’t let revenge consume you. It should not be your only goal in life, no matter how worthy it is. There are more important things in life.”

Even though Kíli did find it difficult to feel any other way at the moment when he was consumed by rage, Kíli knew that Thorin’s words came from experience and had their merit. “Okay, I’m not sure if I can do it now but I promise I’ll try.”

“That’s all I’m asking.” Thorin patted Kíli encouragingly on the back before standing up. “I will not say a word to Dís and Fíli unless you want me to.”

“Could you please…” Kíli knew that he was acting like a coward in not facing Dís and especially Fíli but he simply was not up to the task. Thorin, thankfully, understood. “Of course.”

“Can I go and visit Mrs Potter and the others in St Mungo's?”

“I can certainly arrange that. We will need to figure out the best way to get you there safely but yes. Most of your friends should be discharged soon so I assume you want to see them before that.”

Kíli nodded eagerly. “Definitely. But Mrs Potter…”

“Will recover,” Thorin said firmly. “I have faith in the Healers in St Mungo's. They have promised me daily updates during her stay there. Your friend, Arwen, is one of the Healers attending to her. She knows how much Mrs Potter means to you. As for the orphanage,” he added as if reading Kíli’s mind, “we’ve doubled security there. Lady Galadriel has also sent one of her friends there to help keep it running while Mrs Potter is at St Mungo's. There’s no reason to worry, Kíli. Everything’s been taken care of and we’re doing it right this time.”

It seemed that they had truly thought of everything. Kíli thus did all that was left for him to do. “Thank you so much, sir. I really can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

“I know.” Thorin smiled and started walking out of the room. “Oh,” He turned his head to face Kíli when he was at the door, “one more thing. Given everything that has happened, I think you can drop the title when we’re outside of Hogwarts. Thorin will do. I’m not your professor here. Just a friend, like Dís and Fíli.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For reasons unknown to himself, Kíli avoided both Dís and Fíli for the next couple of days. Somehow, the sight of the people that he loved and their sympathetic faces were proof that Kíli was enjoying his life while his friends from the orphanage were suffering. It was something he simply could not take.

The only person he saw was Thorin, who, despite being the bearer of the bad news, also proved to be someone that Kíli could tolerate the presence of. Thorin had gone through similar trials. He could truly understand. Thorin, therefore, travelled back and forth between Hogwarts, the Ministry, St Mungo's, and Erebor, trying to balance everything at the same time.

Kíli was relieved when Thorin entered his room, the only place Kíli had spent any time in since the news, and told him that he was cleared to visit St Mungo's.

“Mrs Potter’s condition has improved significantly so the Healers deem her stabilised enough to receive visitors. The other children have all been cured and will be released tomorrow. If you want to visit them all, now is the time.”

“I… Yes! Of course! Thank you so much, si, I mean, Thorin.” Kíli could feel his face heat up. It was so strange calling Thorin by his given name. “Can we go now?”

The questioning look Thorin gave him made Kíli feel slightly uneasy. He knew that he was being extremely unfair to Fíli but he could not face him at the moment. This was something that he needed to do himself. Fortunately, Thorin seemed to understand, for he nodded. “Very well. I have received permission from the Ministry to activate a Portkey for this special occasion.”

“Why Portkeys?”

“Because it’s the safest means of transportation in and out of Erebor at this point.” Thorin looked solemn. “We have installed wards to prevent Apparition and Disapparition even for the Erebor residents, in case some of us are coerced by Azog. Fireplace connections are also severely restricted to places like Hogwarts only. Your safety is of the utmost importance.”

Kíli stared. In the face of his grief, he had not spared the true intention behind Azog’s attack too much thought. “You think that he was trying to get me?”

“Why else would he attack the orphanage? The residents there are, forgive me, Muggles. They cannot help Azog in any way. If he’s just randomly attacking Muggles, there are millions of them out there. Why choose the orphanage?”

“So it is all my fault.” Kíli felt as if someone had doused him with a bucket of ice water. All the kids hurt because of him. Madam McGonagall died because of him!

Thorin grabbed Kíli by the arm and shook him, firmly but gently. “This is not your fault. Azog is the guilty one! There’s no one else to blame.”

“But…”

“Azog would have tried to target you regardless,” Thorin said firmly. “You cannot take responsibility for his actions.”

“But I’m still the reason…”

“Not through any fault of yours, Kíli. You’ve done nothing wrong. True, you are the one who plays a critical role in sending him to Azkaban. But are you telling me that you regret that?”

“No, of course not.”

“Exactly. So why are you blaming yourself for the attack? If anyone other than Azog is responsible, it should be the Ministry. They’re the ones who failed to keep Azog locked up in Azkaban. They are the cause of the attack.”

Kíli swallowed. Rationally he knew that Thorin was right. Yet it was still hard for him to ignore the pang of guilt inside.

“Madam McGonagall was aware of the risks by accepting magical children but she has agreed to take you in anyway,” Thorin said softly. “You are not the first magical orphan there, by the way. During the Last Wizarding War, so many children lost their parents that Gandalf thought it would be safer to send them to the Muggle world so they could stay out of the war. Before Madam McGonagall, it was Mister Dumbledore who took them in. He was a Squib and one of the noblest people one could ever meet. He proved that when he sacrificed his life for the lives of the orphans during an attack, which was not unlike this one. That was when Madam McGonagall, his protege at the time, took over.”

Kíli gaped at Thorin. All of this was news to Kíli. Part of him felt ashamed that he had never bothered to ask Madam McGonagall why she took him in without any questions. Now he finally understood, yet he had lost his chance forever to hear it from Madam McGonagall herself. The other part of him also felt heavy that history has repeated itself, that he was not the only one to have caused such hardship in the orphanage.

The Portkey took them directly to the reception area of St Mungo’s Hospital, which presented the most surreal scene Kíli had ever seen. A Dwarf with an elephant’s trunk for a nose just walked right in front of Kíli with a Healer next to him, holding his long nose that was too heavy for him and refused to stay still. To his right, the witch at the Enquiries desk was trying her best to decipher the meows of an Elf with a cat’s ears and a tail. The Man behind the cat Elf, on the other hand, was tap dancing nonstop while wearing a pink ballet tutu.

“Come on,” Thorin pushed Kíli gently on the back so he could tear his eyes away from the fascinating magical medical cases, “let’s go to the fourth floor. All your friends and Mrs Potter are there.”

The fourth floor, as it turned out, was dedicated to the treatment of spell damages. It also happened to be where Arwen was doing her Foundation Programme to become a full-time Healer.

“Kíli!” Arwen’s warm voice and gentle smile almost brought tears to Kíli’s eyes. He had always thought that Aragorn was the one he missed the most. It was not until now that he realised how much he yearned the gentle presence and quiet strength of Arwen.

“Thank you for accommodating this,” Thorin said courteously to Arwen. “We appreciate it.”

“It’s no trouble at all and of course I’d do it for Kíli.” Arwen’s soft hand on Kíli’s shoulder sent such warmth that Kíli felt, for a fleeting moment, that everything was going to be fine. “They’ve all been so anxious and eager to see you. Please follow me.”

The moment he was standing outside the ward, Kíli almost turned around, even though he had been dying to see his friends and Mrs Potter. What if they hate him for what had happened? Kíli could hardly blame them if they did.

“It will be alright.” Thorin seemed to read his mind. “They all want to see you and make sure that you’re alright. They are your friends and care about you. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Nodding and taking a deep breath, Kíli pushed the door open and walked inside. The first thing he noticed was that there were no other patients in the ward, which he was grateful for. He did not know if they would appreciate the presence of other wizards after everything that had happened. Perhaps for the same reason, the room was equally devoid of decorations that were in any bit magical. Instead of the moving portraits of famous Healers, which were seen everywhere else in the hospital, the wall of this ward was decorated with simple Muggle paintings of beautiful sceneries. The plants were equally mundane yet pleasant. Kíli wondered if this was the ward dedicated to Muggle victims who had to be treated here.

There were four single beds in the ward. Mrs Potter occupied the one closest to the window while the rest were assigned to Dean, Seamus, and, to Kíli’s surprise, Ginny. He still did not understand how she got mixed up in this.

“Kíli!” Dean, Seamus, and Ginny all cried out in delight the moment they saw Kíli. In fact, all of them rushed forward to embrace him, something he certainly did not expect.

“No offence, mate,” Seamus shook his head after he gave Kíli a closer look, “but you look like death warmed up. I thought we were the ones being attacked, not you.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Seamus, even a vicious curse can’t shut you up!”

It was hard to describe how he felt. Kíli knew that he probably did not deserve it but he was overwhelmed with gratitude. He simply could not have asked for better friends. “I…” He swallowed. “How are you? Are the damages bad or permanent? How do you feel? Mrs Potter, I…”

Even sitting in her bed, Mrs Potter still looked as beautiful as ever, her auburn hair cascading down her shoulders. “I am fine, Kíli. The,” she frowned slightly at the unfamiliar term, “Healers have been very attentive and they seem knowledgeable. My symptoms are improving every day.”

“Indeed she is,” Arwen interjected helpfully. “Professor Thorin made all the potions that Mrs Potter needs and her prognosis is looking very good. I believe that she will be discharged in no time, maximum a week. There won’t be any lasting physical damage for any of them.”

Kíli let out a sigh of relief. He did not know if he could ever forgive himself if there were. Turning to Ginny and Seamus, he asked in a low and slightly trembling voice, “How did it happen?”

The smile vanished from Ginny and Seamus’s face immediately. It was Ginny who spoke. “We were heading out to West Ham because they were playing Arsenal that afternoon. Dean reckoned that he could sneak us in so we could watch the match. We barely made it to the bus stop before the nutter turned up and started waving his,” Ginny shuddered, “wand. I didn’t know what it was at the time but Madam McGonagall and Mrs Potter reacted fast. They stood in front of us and, and…” her voice trailed off and she started shaking uncontrollably.

“We felt like we were trapped.” Dean wrapped his hand around Ginny’s trembling shoulder and hugged her tight. His own voice, however, was unsteady. “We couldn’t run. We tried but we kept running into invisible walls. I don’t think anyone could hear us either because we were screaming our heads off but nobody came.”

“That’s what magic is capable of.” The look on Mrs Potter’s face was almost distant. “I’ve seen it before, so had Minerva. So we just acted on instinct. Things became a bit blurred after that…”

Ginny had tears in her eyes. “We tried to protect the younger kids. Dean and Seamus were so brave and they fought so hard. But there was no stopping that monster. When he tried to get me, Madam McGonagall would not budge.” The tears were now streaking down her pretty face. “In the end, he just, just…”

Tears running down his face too, Kíli stepped forward and hugged Ginny close to him. He could only understand what she must have gone through under her brave and cheery front. “I am so sorry, Ginny. You shouldn’t have to go through this. It’s all my…”

Ginny looked up and the fierce look on her face made Kíli stop. “Stop saying that! You didn’t point the wand at Madam McGonagall. You did not torture us. It was that monster who did it. He’s the one that needs to pay.”

“I…” Kíli did not know how to respond.

Seamus, who had remained silent and pale-faced, came close and patted Kíli on the back, “It’s alright, mate. We don’t blame you for what that monster did. So maybe you can stop blaming yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry!!!
> 
> I debated for quite a while who should die in this attack. While I initially planned to kill Lily to pay homage to her original storyline, I didn't think it would have the same emotional impact on Kíli (and you) since we barely had any interactions between them. The death of Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, would hit Kíli hard. So again, I'm so sorry. She's one of my favourite HP characters so yeah, I hate myself a little bit now.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli learnt to live his life after the tragedy of the orphanage.

The visit lasted much longer than Kíli had expected. It was hard not to stay in St Mungo’s with his friends and Mrs Potter where they hugged and cried together. In the end, it was Arwen who separated them.

“They need more rest,” Arwen said gently, her hand on Kíli's shoulder, “especially Mrs Potter. She’s still not fully recovered.”

“It’s okay, Kíli.” Mrs Potter smiled. “I’ll be fine. Arwen will take good care of me.”

Kíli nodded, swallowing hard as he felt the lump in his throat rise. “Please take care, Mrs Potter.” He hesitated before continuing in a small voice, “What's gonna happen to the orphanage?”

The smile on Mrs Potter's beautiful face faded. “Now that Minerva,” she choked but carried on valiantly, “well, I suppose I will carry on where she left off. You can always write to me. The orphanage will be your home, always.”

On their way back to Erebor, it was Thorin who broke the silence. “When are you planning to talk to Fíli about this?”

Kíli felt his face heat up. He knew that he had been acting like a child but he simply was not ready before. Now, however, having met his friends, he was finally ready to face his demons. “Okay, I’ll talk to him.”

Thorin’s shoulders relaxed minutely. Had Kíli not come to know Thorin well, he would not be able to tell the change of mood of his Potions professor. “I am glad to hear that. I understand your decision to isolate yourself before but Fíli has been incredibly worried about you. It will do him some good to talk about the matter.”

Once they were safely home, Thorin excused himself so he could go back to his duties in Hogwarts. Kíli, on the other hand, made his way to the Library where he thought he would find Fíli.

Just as expected, Fíli’s golden hair could be seen behind the shelves in the corner of the library. Kíli took a deep breath and walked towards his friend.

“Kíli?” The moment he spotted Kíli, Fíli jumped from his seat, ignoring the book that fell from his hand to the ground. “How… Are you okay?”

The tentative look on Fíli's face filled Kíli with guilt. He could only imagine what Fíli had gone through in the past couple of days, being shut out completely. He was supposed to be his best friend. How could he do this to Fíli? “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Fíli sighed with relief. “Thank Mahal. I mean…”

“It’s okay,” Kíli said quickly. “I should be the one apologising. I really am sorry.”

Fíli frowned. “Whatever for?”

“I’ve been acting like an idiot!” Kíli cried. “I shut myself in my room and refused to speak to you! I can’t even imagine how you must feel, worried sick and not knowing.”

“Oh, Kíli!” Fíli took several steps forward so he was standing directly in front of Kíli. Taking Kíli’s hand in his, he said with the utmost sincerity, “Don’t ever apologise for that. I understand what you have gone through and I understand that you need time and space. Everyone deals with their grief differently. I’m just glad you’re okay now.”

Unable to control his emotions, Kíli threw himself into Fíli’s open arms and cried in earnest. Fíli’s soft murmur next to his ear and his gentle hand stroking his hair turned out to be Kíli’s lifeline so he clung onto it desperately like a man drowning until his sorrow finally tired himself out and left no tears in his eyes.

The rest of the day was spent in comfortable silence. Kíli still did not feel one hundred per cent comfortable talking about all his feelings but Fíli did not pry. Instead, he spent the afternoon sitting next to Fíli, watching his best friend read and occasionally annotate the books. The rustling of the pages, the scratching noises of the quill, and Fíli’s steady breathing combined was the best and most magical calming draught to Kíli.

To Kíli’s horror, the nightmares that had plagued him for so long had returned, this time with a vengeance. Except that he was not sharing the dream with Thorin anymore, because the nightmares were different. Instead of the vague and suspending horror of discovering his parents’ murder, Kíli now dreamt of the attack every night. Even though he had not experienced it himself, the information he had gathered and his imagination did the work. Instead of his mother, Madam McGonagall and Mrs Potter were the ones lying in a pool of blood. The severe yet firm look on Madam McGonagall’s face was replaced with a vacant and hollow one, her body cold and rigid. Mrs Potter’s red hair, very much like Kíli’s mum’s, was fanned out beneath her as she thrashed in pain while her beautiful green eyes were open but unfocused. Next to their battered bodies stood Azog, laughing hysterically with a hideous leer on his face.

Woke with a start, it took Kíli a while to realise where he was. His heart was beating so fast that he felt sick. The cold sweat that made his skin cold and clammy and his hair stuck to his forehead did little to help. There was no other way for it.

“Fíli,” Kíli whispered as he climbed on to Fíli’s four-poster bed.

“Hmm…” Fíli was barely awake but he extended his arms instinctively. Letting out a sigh of relief, Kíli settled himself next to Fíli, his head resting in the crook of Fíli’s neck. Finally, he could find some peace. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When it was time to go back to Hogwarts, Kíli could not wait, which had never happened before when he spent time in Erebor. It was not that he did not like Erebor. Dís was still as loving as ever and he always had Fíli for company. Yet the memory of experiencing the biggest tragedy in his arguably short life had certainly made him eager to get away. The thoughts of the castle with all its inhabitants and bustling life also filled Kíli with faint hope. Surely that was exactly what he needed now, enough distractions to help him forget his painful memories. His only concern, of course, was the nightly nightmare that only stopped when he slept with Fíli by his side.

“You’ll be fine,” Fíli said firmly. “I don’t care about the school rules. I will sleep in your dormitory every night if that’s what it takes.”

“Fíli!”

“I mean it. I’m a Prefect. I can leave my dormitory after curfew. I don’t care if I have to sneak into yours and get 20 detentions along the way. I can’t let you suffer every night on your own. You’re more important.”

As much as Kíli appreciated Fíli’s gesture, he knew that it was not feasible or even reasonable to ask Fíli to do that every day, especially during weekdays when Fíli had patrol duties and early morning classes.

The only other person who knew about Kíli’s nightmares was Thorin. Somehow the experience during the Christmas holidays brought them much closer together. Kíli felt comfortable talking to Thorin about almost anything, something he could not have dreamt of when he first started Hogwarts.

“Have you tried Occlumency?” Thorin asked during their Potions lessons two weeks into the second term.

Kíli fought hard not to yawn. Unfortunately, his much-improved relationship with Thorin meant that he felt a lot more relaxed in his Potions professor’s presence. Normally, this would not have been an issue. In his current sleep-deprived state, however, this presented a very serious health and safety hazard, especially when he was standing in front of a boiling cauldron. “I… I… I did.”

Thorin shook his head, the corners of his lips turned up. “And I take it that it didn’t work?”

“Some nights it di… did. Some nights were just hopeless.” Kíli yawned again. The night before was a bad one. Now he could barely keep his eyes open.

Standing up from his stool, Thorin walked over and looked into Kíli’s cauldron, which as expected was a disaster. “Well, I doubt that there’s any point for you to make a Potion tonight when you are eager to add your head as an ingredient.” With a wave of his wand, Kíli’s slowly congealing mess disappeared from the cauldron.

“Sorry,” Kíli muttered, feeling sorry for himself.

“No need to apologise.” Thorin’s voice did not even rise. “It’s not your fault. Now, why don’t you try reading some more about Golpalott's Third Law? Here,” another wave of the wand sent a couple of new books flying onto Kíli’s lap, “you can find more information about it. It’s pretty complex so I don’t expect you to get it right away. We’ll attempt it next week so just try to absorb as much as you can, away from the cauldron that is.” He gestured toward a very comfortable-looking armchair next to the bench. Kíli complied without a word.

Even though reading the extremely dense Golpalott's Third Law, which insisted that the antidote for a blended poison would be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components, whatever that means, could hardly be described as fun, Kíli did find it extremely hypnotising. The cosy fire and the faint smell of herbs from Thorin’s cauldron, a smell that Kíli had learnt to like, even love, did little to help matters. Before long, Kíli found his eyelids drooping and the book slipping from his hands.

The next thing he knew, it was already morning. It took Kíli a while to figure out where he was because it was certainly not his own bed nor his dormitory. The green satin pillowcase felt so silky to touch that Kíli could not resist the urge to rub his face in it. The bed was gigantic too that Kíli did not even realise that he had shared the bed with someone until he turned around to see the other side of the bed, which was empty but clearly slept-in.

“Bloody hell!” Kíli could not help it. He was in Thorin’s bed!

“I take it from the passionate exclamation that you have completely sobered up.” Thorin’s dry tone nearly sent Kíli tumbling out of the bed. “Forgive me.” He did not sound sorry at all. “I did not mean to startle you.”

“How… What… Why…”

“You fell asleep in the armchair last night. You were so exhausted and seemed to be in a deep sleep so I didn’t wish to wake you up and send you back to your dormitory. So,” Thorin’s face, at least the part not covered by his beard, turned suspiciously pink, “I, er, put you in my bed. It was large enough to accommodate both of us. I hope you don’t mind.”

Did he mind? Had this happened a mere six months ago, Kíli would have exploded with embarrassment that he would be close to a mental breakdown. Now, however, he found himself strangely fine with it. “No, not at all. I mean, I slept well last night so that's something.”

Thorin nodded curtly. “That is good to hear. Now, I hate to remind you, but it is already 8:30 and…” The rest of the sentence was drowned in Kíli’s loud curses and the chaos he made trying to get himself out of bed. Thorin merely smiled and left him to it.

“Where have you been?” Fíli asked when Kíli crashed into the Great Hall, his eyes wide, his face red, his hair sticking out in every direction and his robes buttoned up wrong.

Kíli had no time to answer the question. The food in the tables was starting to disappear as it was time for everyone to leave for their classes. So he dived in front of a plate of toast and managed to grab three pieces before it vanished.

“I think you’ll survive a zombie apocalypse fine,” Gimli sniggered.

“A zombie what?” Ori’s eyes were wide with confusion.

Gimli shrugged. “It’s a Muggle term. Apparently, Muggles like to read books and watch films about zombies taking over the world.”

Ori shook his head. “Very odd indeed.” He then turned to Kíli. “Are you alright? You were awfully late.”

Part of him was grateful that his mouth was so occupied with food that he could not speak, because Kíli did not know what to say about where he spent the night before, especially to Fíli. Would Fíli be upset because, after all, Thorin was supposed to be his One? If Kíli were in Fíli’s situation, he would have been green with jealousy. The worst part was, Kíli had a nagging feeling that Fíli’s jealousy would not be completely unjustified. True, he did not intend for that to happen. Yet the change in the relationship between him and Thorin was so dramatic that even someone as clueless as he could not ignore it. Would he end up breaking Fíli’s heart? The thought alone was enough to make him want to drown his head in the toilet.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the weekend came, everyone in the 6th was both glad and extremely excited because they would have their very first Apparition lesson. Kíli was almost surprised that it was not cancelled or rescheduled due to the situation with Azog. He was grateful though. Apparition lessons would certainly be a nice distraction, not to mention a chance to see Aragorn.

The lesson started at 10 am in the Great Hall, which had all the tables removed so everyone could gather together with enough space to move around. When Kíli walked in, the room was already packed with Gandalf, all the four Head of Houses, Dwalin, and some trainee Aurors, including…

“Aragorn!” Kíli practically ran to his former Prefect and Quidditch Captain and threw himself into Aragorn’s wide-open arms. “I can’t believe you’re here! I’ve missed you so much!”

“Likewise, Kíli!” Aragorn laughed. Even though barely two years had passed, he looked different somehow. It was not that his face had changed, but the look in his eyes, the way he held himself, and the air about him. He was no longer a fresh-eyed student. The real world had changed him, adding some hard lines to his otherwise youthful face. “Fíli, Gimli, Ori! Nice to see you again!”

If he had the opportunity, Kíli would have spent the entire morning with Aragorn, talking about everything but particularly about Azog. Unfortunately, he did have an Apparition lesson to attend. The instructor from the Ministry, a slight, pale, and oddly fragile wizard called Wilkie Twycross, started the lesson. Kíli had never seen someone so insubstantial. In fact, had Wilkie Twycross not looked so mundanely plain with very frizzy hair, he would have wondered if he was an Elf.

“The key to Apparition,” said Wilkie Twycross in a soft voice, “is the Three D’s, Destination, Determination, and Deliberation…”

“Sure there’s no disintegration or destabilisation?” Gimli whispered in Kíli’s ears. “He looks like a prime example of that.”

Fighting hard not to giggle, Kíli nearly missed the instruction on how to Apparate. He was, therefore, alarmed when Wilkie Twycross asked them to focus their mind on the hoop in front of every one of them and then spin around to Apparate into the said hoop.

“So I’m spending 12 galleons to waltz into a bloody hoop? You’ve got to be joking!”

Kíli was glad that Gimli shared his sentiment because he found the whole exercise rather foolish too. Everyone else, however, was taking it seriously. Ori’s face was so red that Kíli feared he might self-combust at any moment. Even Fíli looked strained with his eyes tightly closed and his lips pressed together. Justin, on the other hand, did a ballet pirouette and danced his way straight into the hoop, which, unfortunately, made him the only one to achieve the original goal of the class, albeit with a very different method.

“This has got to be the stupidest class I’ve ever taken,” Gimli said sulkily after the lesson was over. Kíli had to agree. Wilkie Twycross, despite his apparent skills in Apparition, as he had demonstrated multiple times during the class, had no gift in teaching. The Three D’s, in Kíli’s opinion, made no sense. Ori, on the other hand, refused to be pessimistic.

“Honestly, Gim, this is only our first class. We’ve still got tons of time to practice. You’re just miffed because you had to take the class with us.”

Kíli frowned. “What do you mean? Who else…”

“Anyway,” Gimli interrupted Kíli a little too quickly and too loudly to be entirely believable, “how’s that gonna affect our Quidditch schedule? We can’t use Saturday morning to practice anymore.”

After a fierce internal debate, during which Gimli fidgeted anxiously, Kíli had decided to let the matter lie. Gimli had been very supportive of his relationship with Fíli, in his own joking way of course. He felt that it was only fair that he returned the favour. “We’ll figure something out. But you’re right. We need to go back to practice. The next match is only a month away.”

With everything that had been going on, February passed surprisingly fast for Kíli. Now that he had discovered two places where he could sleep in peace, he had asked Thorin to change their extra potions lessons to weekday nights, thus allowing him to spend those two nights in Thorin’s bedroom. It had been surprisingly easy to persuade Thorin, who only seemed amused by Kíli’s rather pathetic attempts at finding various excuses to stay the night. When it was the weekend, Fíli would come and stay in Kíli’s dormitory, giving Kíli another two nights' reprieve.

“You know,” Gimli said one night when it was just the two of them, which seemed so rare those days, “you and Fíli are moving really fast, which, good for you. But you’re like an old married couple now. Come to think of it, I don’t think old married couples spend 4 nights a week together.”

Kíli opened his mouth and closed it. He was not trying to deceive Gimli, he told himself firmly, even though he did not feel that way. But how was he supposed to explain to Gimli, who was Fíli’s best friend too and a blissfully simple and uncomplicated person, that he had this tangled relationship with both Thorin and Fíli? Perhaps it was better for Gimli to live under the illusion that Kíli was just madly in love with Fíli.

Their first Valentine’s Day together turned out to be surprisingly normal. It was a Thursday so there was little time for a big celebration. Both Kíli and Fíli went about their business as usual. After their final lesson, Care of Magical Creatures, Fíli tugged Kíli’s sleeves and said in a low voice, “meet me in the Room of Requirements.”

So instead of going to the Great Hall for dinner like everyone else, Kíli made his way to the 7th-floor corridor where the Room of Requirements was. As he got closer, his anticipation started to build up. What could Fíli have planned? Because surely Fíli had planned something special to celebrate their first Valentine’s Day together. Part of him was beyond excited yet part of him was extremely nervous. Based on his past, albeit limited experiences, holidays like Valentine’s Day tend to change people, most likely into nutters. Kíli nearly winced when he thought of his disastrous one with Tauriel.

He needn’t have worried. The Room of Requirement, which was transformed by Fíli when he walked inside, looked exactly how Kíli loved it. It had an almost forest feeling to it. Instead of a concrete floor, Kíli found himself walking on flat green grass that smelt divine with tall thick trees along the walls of the room, their rustling leaves hanging overhead. He swore that he could hear the river running and even birds chirping in the background. Could the Room of Requirement produce life?

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Fíli rose from the picnic blanket, which was covered with all of Kíli’s favourite food, and walked towards him with such a radiant smile that Kíli felt almost blinded. “Do you like it?”

“It’s the best thing ever!” Kíli was being completely honest.

Fíli beamed and looped his arms around Kíli’s waist. Kíli could feel himself heating up like a hot air balloon. With Fíli this close, his brain always short-circuited. So he did the only thing that his instinct told him to do: kissing Fíli soundly on the lips.

As the kiss went on and quickly progressed into a full-on snog with more oral organs involved, Kíli could feel his trousers getting tighter and tighter. His hands, which were previously placed chastely on Fíli’s lower back, also made their way slowly further down south. Since he had never progressed this far with Tauriel or anyone else for that matter, Kíli had no comparison. But he was quite certain that Fíli’s bottom was one of the firmest in the entire Wizarding World.

It was Fíli, the forever collected and rational one, who disentangled himself from the kiss. “Let’s eat our dinner first. Otherwise, the food will get cold.”

Kíli was very much in the mind to say sod the food but he knew Fíli was right. If they did not stop now, he had no idea where the night would end. So while his hands were still itching to reach out to Fíli’s delicious behind, Kíli managed to control himself and followed Fíli to the picnic blanket.

When the night finally wound to an end, Kíli was both elated and exhausted. He never realised that snogging would require more stamina than Quidditch. It left him in such a lazily content state that he had no wish to move. Fíli, fortunately, had thought of everything.

“We can stay the night here. I’ve taken some of our clothes and the Room can give us a bed.”

The moment Fíli had said it, a large four-poster bed appeared magically in the room. Kíli’s eyes widened. The Wizarding World never ceases to amaze him with its wonderful magic. “That’s absolutely wicked!”

Fíli laughed. “I suppose. But trust me, this is not the last wicked thing tonight.”

As it turned out, it was not the last wicked thing of the week either, for they had their Apparition lesson that Saturday where something exciting had finally happened. The first part of the lesson was the usual dull Three D’s and trying to waltz their way into a hoop until…

_ Bang! _

Kíli opened his eyes and was more than surprised to find himself inside the hoop. He was also fairly certain that he did not just dance into the hoop because both of his legs were left firmly behind 5 feet from him outside the hoop.

The pandemonium that followed was a blessing in disguise to Kíli. He was so confused and distracted that he had no time to panic about his sudden loss of altitude. He could vaguely hear Ori’s high-pitched shrieking in the background, accompanied by Fíli’s reassuring voice and Gimli’s cry of excitement. He could not see them, however, because he was surrounded by the professors and trainee Aurors.

“It’s okay, Kíli,” said Lady Galadriel in a calm and soothing tone, “it’s just Splinching. It happens to everyone when we’re Apparating without 100% commitment. No need to worry. We’ll fix this in no time.”

Thorin, on the other hand, preferred actions over words. His hands under Kíli’s armpit, Thorin lifted Kíli from the ground so he was back to his original height. Kíli had no time to feel embarrassed about being treated like an infant as he was too busy looking longingly at his legs. Lady Galadriel waved her wand and before he knew it, his legs were attached firmly back to his torso amidst a puff of smoke.

“Are you alright?” Fíli rushed to Kíli’s side the moment the professors left.

Still dazed by the quick turn of events, Kíli answered almost in a trance. “I, yeah, I suppose.”

“It’s so scary.” Ori’s eyes were still wide with fear and anxiety. “Does it hurt?”

To Kíli’s surprise, he did not feel pain in the whole process. It was more of a shock than anything else. “Actually, no. That’s odd, isn’t it?”

“That, mate, is absolutely wicked!” Gimli’s beaming smile could not help but bring the same to Kíli’s face. Now that he had survived the experience, he did start to appreciate it, especially when he saw the awed look on all the other students’ faces. This was the most exciting thing that had happened in their incredibly dull Apparition lessons.

So when February was drawing to an end, Kíli felt very much different. He was almost a grown man. He was learning how to Apparate, albeit without too much success. His relationship with Fíli had progressed so well that he was amazed he could be even more in love with Fíli than when they first started. He felt so on top of the world that he was sure he could do anything he wanted.

The second round of Quidditch matches seemed to confirm Kíli’s conviction. Granted, they were only playing Hufflepuff, which was perhaps the weakest team. Yet Kíli could not have asked for a better match, especially considering that he had lost Katie Bell, his most senior Chaser 10 days before the match because she had accidentally ingested a Polyjuice Potion gone wrong and had to spend the rest of the time leading up to the match in the Hospital Wing getting her hands back from claws and her feet back from hooves of a Hippogriff.

“Don’t worry, Cap,” Samwise Gamgee, the Reserve Chaser, said with as much courage as he could muster, “I can step up and help us win.”

Kíli smiled reassuringly at Sam because he knew that the young first-year desperately needed it if his shaking hands were anything to go by. Next to Sam, Frodo grabbed hold of Sam’s trembling hand in a sign of solidarity. Kíli would be more reassured had Frodo not looked even more pale and anxious.

The match, as it turned out, was as one-sided as their previous ones against Hufflepuff. Despite Bain and Thorin Stonehelm-Ironfoot’s best effort, the young and inexperienced Hufflepuff team could not stand up to Gryffindor. After merely 10 minutes, Kíli had caught the Golden Snitch, ending the match at 200 to 20.

“We should have played longer,” Gimli grumbled. “We would have annihilated them. We need all the points we can get before we play Ravenclaw.”

Other members of the team, however, were much more optimistic about their chances at winning the Quidditch Cup. They were currently sitting in second place, only 10 points behind Ravenclaw. Sam, in particular, was beside himself with joy. He not only survived his first match but also managed to score once!

“Well done!” Kíli resisted the temptation to pat Sam on the head, who was practically jumping up and down with glee like an overexcited puppy, and settled for his Chaser’s shoulder. “Really good work today! You’ll be a brilliant Chaser next year.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Easter came in early April, the majority of the school had decided to spend the two-week holiday at home, which was silently encouraged by the staff members of the school.

“The fewer students we have in the castle,” Thorin said during his lesson with Kíli, “the easier it is to secure the school. The staff deserves some holiday too since the majority of them did not even get to spend Christmas away from the castle.”

Kíli understood Thorin. Ever since Azog’s escape and particularly after his appearance in Hogsmeade and the attack on the Muggle orphanage, the school had been in a constant state of tension. The students might not feel it because the only change in their lives was the Hogsmeade visits that were drastically reduced in number and heavily supervised. For the staff member tasked with enforcing the security of the castle and most importantly the students, however, the pressure was immense. Kíli knew it because of his close relationship with Thorin. “But they still haven’t caught Azog.”

Thorin shook his head in dismay. “No. The Aurors and the Order are doing our best but it’s not easy. Minister Saruman does not wish to cause too much alarm and panic in the public so he forbade the Daily Prophet from publishing anything about Azog. Even the attack on your orphanage was hushed up.”

“I know!” It was hard for Kíli not to get riled up. It was bad enough that the attack happened; worse still that it would be forgotten soon.

“Without public awareness, Azog can slip in and out with ease.” Thorin looked deeply troubled. “But we’ve got no choice. We cannot operate under such high stress forever. People need a break before they burnout. Hopefully, this Easter holiday will do that.”

“Can I stay in the castle?” Kíli asked hopefully. Two weeks felt too short of a holiday to leave the castle and go back to Erebor, which was still a sore spot for Kíli because it brought back memories of the attack on the orphanage. Besides, he wanted to stay in the castle and get to know the goings-on of this mysterious Order of the Eagles. Thorin would stay, so would Gandalf. What better opportunities would he have?

The look Thorin gave him was searching. Kíli puffed up his chest and stood up higher. He was going to prove himself. He was almost an adult. He was a capable wizard. He wanted to be where Thorin was. He wanted to face Azog and avenge his Muggle family if he ever got the chance.

After a long silence, stretching to the point that Kíli almost deflated, Thorin finally nodded. “Very well. You may stay. I believe Fíli would stay so he would keep you company.”

Hardly able to contain his glee, Kíli jumped up and pumped his fist in the air. His open display of emotion seemed to amuse Thorin, who said with a smile, “This is not an excuse for you to faff around and cause mischief.”

“Oh,” Kíli said in the utmost sincere tone with his hand over his heart, “I would never!”

Shaking his head in amusement, Thorin said, “Of course you wouldn’t. How silly of me. Well, you may go and tell Fíli. I suppose he’ll be delighted with the news.”

Fíli was indeed ecstatic. Kíli thought it must be because he was tired of Gimli’s knowing smirks whenever they so much as held hands. Both Gimli and Ori had decided to follow the lead of the rest of the school and left the castle. The only other students left were a couple of Muggleborns who found the journey to and from the castle too time-consuming for a short two-week holiday, and, naturally, Bolg. Even Frodo had gone home with Bilbo, who was given the two-week holiday since he did not have the luxury during Christmas. Bolg, however, had no other option.

“I can’t believe that Bolg still hasn’t recovered his magic,” Kíli said conversationally in the almost empty Gryffindor Common Room on the first night of their Easter holiday. “I thought that surely the professors could have done something to help him.”

“I’m not sure,” Fíli said almost absent-mindedly, his eyes still fixed on his Arithmancy textbook. “There is some magic that we just don’t know much about.”

Kíli sighed. “I suppose. I have to say that I am a bit surprised that neither Ori nor Gimli chooses to stay in the castle. Not that I’m complaining,” He added hastily. “It’s nice to have both the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Common Rooms to ourselves. It’s just unexpected.”

Fíli finally looked up. “Ori is going home with Professor Nori at Mister Dori’s insistence. I’m not surprised about that. Mister Dori takes Ori’s security very seriously. As for Gimli,” the smile on Fíli’s face was mysterious yet knowing, “he would have stayed here if a certain someone’s staying in the castle. Unfortunately, that certain someone is in no position to make this kind of decision.”

“What?” Kíli sat up straight, his eyes wide. “What are you talking about? How come I have no idea…”

Fíli laughed. “Oh, Kíli, you’re wonderfully blind sometimes. It’s a blessing. Trust me.”

After that enigmatic message, Fíli remained tight-lipped and refused to budge, no matter how much Kíli pestered Fíli for gossip. In the end, Kíli had to give up. He had much more urgent things to worry about after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Even though they had no classes during the Easter holidays, Kíli still kept up his usual schedule with Thorin. They were now meeting three nights a week because they could afford to. Kíli sometimes wondered if his newly-discovered love for Potions was the only reason for this increased frequency. He never dared to find the real answer.

What worried Kíli even more was Fíli’s reaction to this. To his immense relief and slight surprise, Fíli did not have a problem with Kíli’s additional classes at all.

“You need all the extra practice you can get in Potions. Besides, I’m sure uncle can teach you more than Potions. He’s a master in defensive spells as well.”

Despite Fíli’s generous attitude, Kíli could not help but feel guilty about the extra time spent with Thorin. As a result, he made sure that he was still going back to his dormitory, where Fíli was spending all the nights now during the holiday, in his third Potion lessons of the week.

“You can stay here, you know?” Thorin said casually. He had already changed into his nightshirt, a light shirt in lime green, so different from his usual heavy robes that Kíli turned his head around, his face burning. “It will be much less trouble that way.”

“I…” After this inadvertent look into the other side of Thorin, a much more personal side, Kíli felt the need to escape even more. “I better go back. It’s not that late after all and…”

“And Fíli’s waiting for you,” Thorin said knowingly. Kíli could feel his face heat up again. Did Thorin know? “Very well. I understand.”

“You do?” This was not the reaction Kíli was expecting.

“You’re both young,” Thorin said as he strode over to the chair where his day robe hung. “It’s perfectly natural to, hmm, feel the desire to explore. We have all been there. It is part of growing up.”

Kíli stared. Once he had regained himself, he was surprised by his outburst, although he had no desire to control himself. “This is not a quick fling! We love each other!”

This did make Thorin pause mid-change. “Love? Well, I do not doubt your affection for each other. You have been best friends for the longest time. Yet not all best friends end up being lovers. I know for sure that you’re not…” He stopped himself. “Well, I did give what you said the other day some serious consideration. I have thus decided not to rush Fíli into marrying and will certainly consult him in choosing his future bride, he is still my heir and is thus expected to produce an heir himself to continue the family line. While he could afford a youthful dalliance, his destiny lies elsewhere.”

The blood rushing to Kíli’s head made it hard to hear anything else. How dare he?! He thought that his Potions Master had changed, that he had developed a human heart. Was it all just a lie? Was he the same workaholic that only cared about his position as the leader of the Dwarves but not his family’s happiness?

“Kíli?” Thorin paused in his painstakingly long process to make himself presentable again. Even though it was just a quick trip to take Kíli back to the Gryffindor Tower, Thorin was never one to put a hair out of place in front of the others. “What’s the matter?”

With everything that was fighting to burst out of him, Kíli only managed a stutter. “What’s the… You… I…” In the end, he had to give up on eloquence in favour of emotions. “Don’t bother! I’m leaving!”

Kíli only stopped running once he was halfway through to the Gryffindor Tower. Panting heavily, he looked back at the deserted corridor. Despite his anger at Thorin, Kíli was sorely disappointed that Thorin did not follow him out of his office. What was wrong with him? “That, Kíli, is just stupid!”

“For once in your filthy pathetic life, you’re right.”

Kíli spun on the spot and felt his heart stop. Standing in front of him, with ragged clothes hanging off his emaciated body and oily lanky hair half covering his dirty face, was Azog, who looked more terrifying than ever, if that was even possible. Before he even had time to reach into his pocket for his wand, Azog had already disarmed him with a flick of his wand.

Wandless, alone, and completely helpless, Kíli had never been so scared in his life. Just beneath the almost overwhelming sense of fear though was the bubbling rage. This was the wizard who tried to kill Fíli. This was the wizard who attacked his friends in the orphanage and the one who killed Madam McGonagall. How much Kíli longed to have his wand and avenge his friends and surrogate mother. Yet now he was reduced to a helpless child completely at Azog’s mercy.

“Well, well,” Azog’s sneer was even uglier and more menacing than Kíli had remembered. Azkaban had changed him for the worse. There was an animalistic look on Azog’s face when he bared his sharp black teeth. The mad look in his eyes had replaced his usual cunning. “Isn't this our favourite little Half-Blood?”

“What are you doing here, you murdering scumbag!”

“Ah, that old hag." Azog shrugged with a smirk. "I had to get her out of the way so I could get to the lovely redhead.” His leer turned lascivious. “I didn’t get to enjoy her properly but well, needs must. And how prettily she screamed.”

“You fu…”

“That’s enough!” Azog shouted, his eyes bulging with a maniacal gleam. “I didn’t come here to talk about some dirty Muggle whores. Where’s the Arkenstone?”

“What?” This was the last thing that Kíli expected. “Are you mental? I have no bloody clue!”

“Don’t lie to me!” Azog screamed, spit flying out of his mouth. “I know you know its whereabouts! You’ve been cosying up with Thorin this term. He must have told you.”

“How did you…”

Azog smirked. “I have eyes and ears inside the castle. I don’t blame you. For a Half-Blood orphan like you, selling yourself up to Thorin is probably your best option in life. Clever move.”

To Kíli’s surprise, Azog’s insinuation hurt more than he would like to admit. “Professor Thorin and I were just having private lessons. Nothing more.”

Azog did not seem to care, however. Instead, he raised his wand and pointed it directly at Kíli, who flinched despite his best effort. “I don’t care what you do with Thorin in his office or his bed. Now tell me where the Arkenstone is!”

“I don’t know!” And it was the honest truth.

“Don’t you dare lie to me!” Azog’s screaming was surely loud enough to wake the entire castle. “Do you think I won’t torture you to get the truth out of you, you filthy Half-Blood? I’d love nothing more!”

“I honestly don’t know,” Kíli cried in earnest.

“Crucio!”

Hell broke loose. Or at least that was what Kíli felt the moment the spell hit him. It was as if he was burnt alive. Every inch of his skin was pierced by a thousand red hot needles. His head was splitting as if someone was bashing it repeatedly against the solid wall. An invisible hand was twisting his insides and tearing every single organ apart, again and again. Surely he was dead, for how could one survive such intense pain. On top of it all, he could hear the distant scream of someone in immense pain. It took him a while to realise that it was coming from him.

Then it suddenly stopped. Kíli was still shaking from the aftershock that he almost missed Azog’s next threat. “This is just a taster of what is to come. I went easy on you. Tell me where the Arkenstone is and I might let you go. If you continue to resist, you will soon learn what it’s like to lose your mind from the pain.”

Kíli opened his mouth but nothing came out. He had screamed himself hoarse that he could only croak. “I…” He coughed, sending his body into a shocking fit. “I don’t know.”

Azog’s face turned into an ugly shade of puce. Kíli closed his eyes and braced himself for even more pain. How long he could take this, he had no idea. He just needed to fight it a little bit more and hope for the best.

“Cru…”

“Expelliarmus!” Fíli’s voice made Kíli snap his eyes open. Miraculously, Fíli had come to his rescue. His Disarming spell had hit Azog square in the back, sending the escaped Death Eater falling face forward and his wand together with Kíli’s flying into Fíli’s outstretched hand.

“Kíli! Are you al…” Fíli’s question was cut short by Kíli’s yell of surprise. Azog, who had scrambled up, held out his hand and cast the Disarming Spell, to Kíli’s astonishment, without a wand.

Unfortunately, the wandless magic worked and the wands changed hands once again and this time probably for good. Panting slightly, Azog pointed his wand at both Kíli and Fíli. “Well, well, well, I came here strictly for Durin. I did not expect to get you as well but what a nice bonus.”

Kíli could feel his heart sink. It was one thing to have himself tortured. That he could deal with. Quite another to watch Fíli suffer the same fate because of him! “No, leave Fíli alone!”

“You don’t scare me!” Fíli said loudly as he stepped in front of Kíli to shield him from Azog’s range of fire. “Give me your worst. See if I care!”

If the Cruciatus curse had not incapacitated Kíli, he would have kicked Fíli. Why was he provoking Azog on purpose? For surely someone as clever as Fíli could not do something this daft. Azog, however, seemed to understand Fíli’s motivation much better.

“Trying to protect your little friend, eh? Don’t worry, I’ve got enough magic for both of you.” With that, he raised his wand and said in a cold voice. “Crucio!”

As if in slow motion, Kíli watched as Fíli, the forever proud and courageous Ravenclaw who always stood tall, crumbled to the floor. Kíli’s hand, too slow and too weak, was unable to reach Fíli in time. All he could do was to crawl to his friend and love, who was spasming on the floor, his limbs twitching in pain, and hold him in his trembling arms. He could see blood dripping down Fíli’s chin because he was biting his lips so hard. Yet he knew that Fíli would not give in. He would never surrender. And it hurt Kíli’s soul to watch Fíli suffer so. The pain that he felt this time was even more profound because he felt it all in his heart. He could not breathe, he could not think. It hurt almost more than his own torture.

“Stupefy!”

The voice, so different from Thorin's deep baritone voice, sounded almost foreign to Kíli. Yet he knew, deep in his heart, that it was Thorin who came to their rescue. It could not be anyone else and he just knew. Except that this was a Thorin he had never seen before, a Thorin filled to the brim with rage that he would stop at nothing to destroy the one who tortured his family.

Looking up, Kíli saw, through his teary eyes, that Thorin and Azog were locked in a fierce duel. The look on Thorin’s face was murderous. Azog, on the other hand, cackled with insane laughter. “What will happen to your little bastards when I kill you? Do you think they will cry?”

“ _You_ ,” Thorin waved his wand and a gargoyle leapt into action, charging towards Azog, “ _will_ ,” a fire dragon erupted out of his wand, “ _never_ ,” a thousand knives materialised out of thin air, “ _touch_ ,” a long cord of black rope unwound itself and shot towards Azog, “ _my family_ ,” a purple spell whooshed past Kíli, “ _again!_ ”

Those spells were so powerful that Kíli could feel them crushing him to the floor. What was worse, even that was not enough because Azog not only parried off all Thorin’s attacks, he was throwing his own curses back at Thorin. It did not take a genius to guess that those were very Dark spells. Kíli could Sense their malice clouding over, suffocating him. Pushing himself up with great difficulty, he grabbed Fíli, who was barely conscious, by the arm and started crawling out of harm's way. This was easier said than done. His muscles still ached from the Cructiatus Curse that he had to stop when they spasmed randomly. The wall, which was so close, felt like the other side of the universe. He was still so incredibly weak that he started panting after only a couple of feet. But he had to do it. He had to protect Fíli.

“What the…”

Kíli snapped his head up. He could not believe it. There, not 5 feet from them on the staircases, stood Bolg, who had clearly been woken up by the disturbance and rushed out of his dormitory clad in pyjamas, his wand loosely in his hand. If Kíli had not been so overwhelmed both by exhaustion and his determination to protect Fíli, he would have rushed forward to get the idiot out of the way. But that was out of the realm of possibility so Bolg was left on his own, practically a Squib and utterly defenceless. It came as no surprise when a stray spell from his father hit the wall behind Thorin, who ducked just in time, bounced off it, and hit Bolg straight in the face. Bolg toppled over like a marble statue but neither Thorin nor Azog paid him any attention. Both were too engaged in their fierce battle to even notice.

“You’ll never win, Azog!” Thorin panted in between his spells. “Gandalf is on his way and he will be here any minute. Your dirty tricks cannot fight us both. You’ll be back in your filthy cell in no time.”

“Oh really?” Azog laughed, a more terrible laugh than anything Kíli had heard. “I don’t think so.” Pointing his wand directly at them, he shouted, “Avada Kedavra!”

The greenlight shot towards Kíli felt like the brightest light he had ever seen in his life. Thanks to his Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons, Kíli understood perfectly what this meant. Some say that your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. Kíli was the living proof that it was true. The second seemed to stretch on forever, showing him everything that he had loved, from his friends and caretakers from the Muggle orphanage to the wonderfully amazing magical world, all converging on one person, Fíli.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and welcome Death, Kíli saw another jet of red light flash, clashing with the green light millimetres before his eyes. The next thing he knew, a large shadow loomed over him, followed by…

“Ouch!”

It might sound ungrateful since Thorin had not only deflected the killing curse using his own spell but also thrown himself on Kíli in order to block the killing curse just in case. But still, Thorin was a full-grown Dwarf that weighed quite a lot.

“Ughhhh.” Kíli’s grumble was ignored by Thorin, who scrambled up to his feet and whipped his head around with his wand held high. Azog, however, was nowhere to be found.

“What in the name of…” Gandalf’s hurried figure finally calmed Thorin down. He lowered his wand and turned back to face Kíli, who was still gasping from being squashed by Thorin.

While Gandalf went over to check on the unconscious form of Bolg, Thorin waved his wand in the air in intricate patterns. Kíli felt the calming magic wash over him, making him sigh in relief. Next to him, Fíli stirred as well.

“Fíli,” Kíli nearly burst into tears when he saw Fíli’s sky blue eyes open slowly. “Are you alright?”

“I can ask you the same question,” Thorin said as he crouched down next to them. “How do you feel?”

Kíli shook his head quickly, which he immediately regretted as it started pounding like crazy. “I’m fine. The killing curse didn’t even touch me. But Fíli’s been tortured!”

“The killing curse?” Both Fíli and Gandalf asked at the same time, Fíli’s tone incredulous and Gandalf’s grave.

Thorin nodded solemnly. “I had no time to put up any sort of shield. So I used my spell to deflect it,” he shuddered, “just in time.”

“But I’m fine. You need to take a look at Fíli. He’s been under the Cruciatus curse!”

“So have you!” Fíli said, his voice still weak but surprisingly determined. “You need to get checked up too.”

Before Kíli could protest, Gandalf intervened, “Fíli’s right. We’ll take both of you, along with Bolg, to the Hospital Wing.”

Oín was beside himself after he had run the diagnostic spells on them. “What in the name of Mahal is going on here? Three students, all hit by Dark Magic, two tortured under Unforgivables no less! This is a school! Not a mafia fighting ground! You have not,” he turned to glare at Gandalf, “try to induct them into your Ord…”

“No!” Gandalf said firmly. “Of course not! They’re still Hogwarts students, not to mention all underage. I would never do something like that.”

“It’s Azog.” Thorin’s tone was icy cold. “He’s managed to infiltrate the school.”

“And he’s growing bolder and more reckless,” Gandalf sighed. “Azkaban, I’m afraid, has done nothing to help him change his ways.”

“But how?” Oín looked from one to the other. “This is Hogwarts we’re talking about. It’s under the most powerful and ancient protective spells! It’s the safest place in the world!”

Good question, Kíli thought. He had been wondering the same thing. Was it possible that Azog had become so powerful and unscrupulous in his use of Dark Magic that he could break down those wards? Such thoughts sent shivers down Kíli’s spines.

“I think he sneaked in using the secret passageways.” Fíli’s soft voice turned everyone’s eyes on him. Kíli could kick himself and kiss Fíli at the same time. Of course! That made more sense!

“That must be it! Maybe loads of people know about those secret passageways. Azog used to be a student here. Maybe he knew them from his time in the castle.”

“I don’t think so,” said Fíli slowly to give himself time to catch his breath. “If he had known them before, he would have sneaked in much earlier. I think he only recently found out about them.”

“Fíli might be right.” Gandalf nodded. “Azog wasted Christmas, which was a golden opportunity. I can only think of two reasons why. Either he thought the school would be too heavily guarded after his appearance at Hogsmeade, or he simply did not know about the passageways.” He turned to Thorin. “Would you please…”

“Of course,” Thorin said before hesitating, his eyes on Kíli and Fíli.

“No need to worry,” Gandalf said with a smile. “We’ll look after them.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The recovery from the Cruciatus curse took much longer than Kíli had anticipated. Even though he felt mostly free of any symptoms, there were still the occasional bouts of tremor and spasms of pain. Fíli was no better. He had been under the curse for even longer. Hence his symptoms were more frequent. Given that it was the Easter Holidays, Oín had insisted that they stay in the Hospital Wing.

“The curse is an Unforgivable for a reason,” said Oín as he brought a tray of potions for them. “Nasty business. Now, drink up.”

Kíli grimaced. The potions they had to drink were vile. Even Thorin, who stopped by every day to visit both of them, could not make it less repulsive.

Fíli, on the other hand, bore his treatment with dignity. Once he had downed the potion, he asked about the progress on Azog.

Oín shook his head. “We still don’t know his whereabouts. I’m not surprised. He’s managed to escape Azkaban, hasn’t he? I dunno when they’ll catch him. I know that they were hoping Bolg could wake up in time and provide us with some clues but…”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Bolg’s unconscious form on the bed furthest in the corner. Ever since the attack, the Slytherin had remained comatose, despite Gandalf, Thorin, and Oín’s many attempts. As a last resort, Thorin had sent a message to Dwalin and Elrond, asking them to cut their holidays short. If Dwalin, the expert in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Elrond, the Healer, could not help Bolg, they had no choice but to send him to St. Mungo’s.

“Do you think he knows?” Kíli asked Fíli curiously. He never understood Bolg’s relationship with his father. “I mean, Azog practically abandoned him once he discovered that Bolg has lost his magic.”

“I… Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, Bolg is his only son and heir, his flesh and blood. How can he… I can’t imagine mum or uncle ever do something like that even if I’ve lost my magic.”

Kíli snorted. “Of course not! Don’t be daft. I mean, Azog is a homicidal maniac who escaped from Azkaban. You can’t exactly use logic or common sense on him, can you? Although, it does make you feel sorry for Bolg. But maybe it’s good riddance, a blessing in disguise for him, you know?”

“I don’t think he feels that way,” Fíli said slowly, frowning. “I think he still wants his father’s approval. He glowers at anyone who dares to speak ill of Azog in front of him. I’m sure that if he has any magic left, he would have done much worse.”

Kíli sat up a little straighter. He did not know that. “So he might actually be useful to our investigation in some way then. If he’s still obsessed with his father, surely he’d have gathered every piece of information about him. Might have tried to contact him even. That’s what I’d have done. Maybe…” His eyes drifted to Bolg.

“No, Kíli…”

But Fíli was too late this time, for Kíli had already jumped off his bed and rushed to Bolg’s side. After a moment of hesitation, Fíli followed suit.

“Are you out of your mind?” Fíli hissed as Kíli bent down to examine the bedside table next to Bolg’s bed. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for clues,” Kíli hissed back. “He might know something about his father.”

“And you think he’s carrying it around him or got it tattooed on his head? Stop it, Kíli. Mister Oín could be out any second and…”

Fíli’s admonition was drowned by a sharp gasp from Kíli, who had just lifted the duvet covering Bolg. “What the… Hush, Kíli! You’re going to…” He stopped when he saw the look on Kíli’s face. “Dear Merlin, what’s the matter, Kíli?”

If only he had not been so shocked, Kíli would have explained everything. Instead, all he could do was to point at the pendant on the golden chain around Bolg’s neck.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I still don’t understand,” Fíli said as he finally managed to drag a petrified Kíli away from Bolg’s bed. “It's a pendant that Bolg wore. I admit that it’s not a particularly classy one. But still.”

“It’s…” Kíli could feel bile rising in his throat. He felt faint, from anger or anxiety he knew not. But he had to take several gulps of deep breaths to compose himself. “It’s his family’s emblem.”

Fíli blinked. “Er, maybe. I honestly don’t know enough about Wizarding genealogy, apart from the Dwarf ones, of course, to know for sure. But even if it is… Actually, how do you know that?”

“Because I’ve seen it.” Kíli finally looked Fíli straight in the eye. Whatever look he had in his eyes, it must have frightened Fíli because his best friend flinched. “The sword and the wolf above a skull, the same vile text below. It’s got to be the same one.”

Fíli looked almost too scared to ask. “Where did you…”

“The dream where my parents were murdered. I saw the same shape in the pile of blood on their bedroom floor.”

So finally, Fíli understood the implication as much as Kíli did. Finally, they knew the awful truth about the true identity of the Death Eater who tortured and murdered Kíli’s parents.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So you’re absolutely su…”

“I saw it with my own eyes, Fíli!” Kíli turned on him. It was hard not to feel angry about Fíli’s questions but Kíli tried his best to contain his temper. “What other proof do you need?”

Fíli put up his hands. “I’m not doubting your judgement, Kíli. All I’m saying is that this is a big accusation that can change your life forever. You need to be one hundred per cent certain.”

Taking a deep breath, Kíli said as patiently as he could, “Look at this logically. What are the chances that anyone other than Azog could pass the pendant on to Bolg? I don’t recall Bolg wearing it before, which means that he must have inherited it after his father was thrown into Azkaban, effectively making Bolg the Head of the family. We all know that Azog is a Death Eater more than capable of murder. He has motives because my father was a Durin. What other explanation is there?”

Fíli sighed, “I don’t know. There are too many variables here. I think you’re right but we need to confirm your theory before you go charging at Azog. But speaking of charging at someone, we also need to prepare ourselves. You’ve seen what he’s capable of, not to mention what he’s turned into. We don’t stand a chance against him unless we put an enormous amount of effort into it.”

Once again, Fíli had proven that he was always the sensible one. Kíli sometimes wondered if he would still be alive without Fíli by his side, stopping him from doing stupid and impulsive things. “Right. I’ll get on with it,” He groaned. “I’m just so busy! I wish we don’t have to take that stupid Apparition lessons.”

“Apparition is extremely important! Imagine if you need to get away from Azog, Apparition is pretty much your only chance. We’ve got to master it. It’s our best and probably only exit strategy.”

Even though Kíli would have liked very much to say that he needed no exit strategy because he would either kill Azog or die trying, he knew that Fíli was right. They were only 6th-years. Facing Azog in a duel was no less than a suicide mission. Kíli even debated if he should drag Fíli along because, after all, it was not his fight.

“Don’t be absurd!” Fíli said, shaking his head as if Kíli had gone mad. “Of course I’ll go with you. Do you honestly think I’d let you go and face Azog on your own?”

“But…”

“I know it’s dangerous.” Fíli looked as if he was resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Of course I do. But seriously, Kíli, there’s no way I can let you do this alone. Besides, with both of us, we might stand a chance.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now that they had this goal in mind, Kíli and Fíli dedicated all their spare time to studying more about defensive spells. Since they had access to the Restricted Section, it was much easier to delve deeper into the subject. It was so difficult that even Kíli, who had excelled at Defence Against the Dark Arts since first entering Hogwarts, had trouble grasping some of the concepts. Fortunately, help came just when he needed it.

“I’ve spoken to Dwalin,” Thorin said at the end of their next Potions lesson, resumed after Kíli’s stay in the Hospital Wing, “he will recommence your extra Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. It is of vital importance that you learn all the spells to protect yourself, now that we know that you are Azog’s primary target. If you ever feel that your workload is too overwhelming, let me know. We can always postpone our lessons until the summer so you can focus on something more important.”

Kíli sighed with relief. He had debated with himself about how to broach the topic because he could easily see it becoming a reality. “Thanks a lot, sir. I promise I’ll study really hard during the summer to make up for it.”

Thorin nodded with grim satisfaction. He had been unusually withdrawn after the attack. Even though he went to visit Fíli and Kíli in the Hospital Wing almost daily, often with Dwalin after he returned to the castle, he often remained quiet during the visits and let Dwalin do all the talking. Their interaction with him outside the Hospital had reduced drastically too. Kíli had to ponder if this new distance was caused by his dramatic exit right before the attack. “Sir, I’m sorry about how I acted before the attack, you know, running off and everything. I didn’t mean to do that. Well, I sort of did because I still think you’re wrong about me and Fíli but, er, I probably could’ve done it better.”

Thorin looked up and locked his eyes with Kíli. The look on his face was that of mingled relief and, unless Kíli was very much mistaken, regret. “I am glad that, well, you’ve decided to bring it up. I must admit that I have feared that…” he shook his head, “never mind. You owe me no apologies, Kíli. If anyone should apologise, it is me. After seeing how you and Fíli try to protect each other in the face of such adversity, I must confess that I have been very wrong about your relationship.” He took a deep breath. “I know that I have not always been very reasonable when it comes to Fíli, putting all kinds of pressure on him. But in the end, he’s my nephew before he’s my heir. I cannot justifiably put my ambition before his true happiness. I, therefore, give you my blessing, should you choose to continue your relationship in any shape or form.”

Kíli stared. Never had he ever expected Thorin to back down and simply accept their relationship. “I… Sir… Thank you, sir! I…”

Thorin smiled. It was a small, resigned, and sad one, which broke something inside Kíli. “You are welcome, Kíli. Please, make Fíli happy and be happy!”

Nodding fiercely, Kíli rose from his seat to leave. Before he left the room, something suddenly popped up in his head, something he forgot to ask. “Sir, how did you know that Fíli and I were attacked that night and how did you find us?”

The silence that followed made Kíli’s heart stop. Without knowing why, he came to dread the answer that Thorin was about to give. But there was nothing he could do. Even though it was not his intention, for he only wanted to amend his relationship with Thorin, he had opened a floodgate that could not be closed. “Sir?”

“I came to your rescue,” Thorin said slowly, looking up from his cauldron. His eyes met Kíli’s before he looked away, “because I felt it in my heart and soul. I felt the pain that you were going through. It hurt me to the point that I could not breathe. That was how I knew, Kíli. That was where I went. I followed my heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much angst. (Sorry but not sorry lol :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something worse than Azog at large had happened.

If Kíli thought the search for Azog before his attack was intense, it was child's play compared to the manhunt in the weeks that followed. Everyone, it seemed, was eagerly reading the Daily Prophet to follow up on any new development.

“They’re never gonna catch him,” Gimli slammed the Daily Prophet down on the table after another day’s newspaper came with no updates on Azog’s whereabouts. “If they didn’t catch him within the first 48 hours, it’s game over. Our only hope is if Azog strikes again.”

Unfortunately, Gimli’s words had too much truth in them to be disputed. Fíli sighed, “It is certainly not looking good. But at least they’re increasing the security around the castle so hopefully, there won’t be a repeat of the attack.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just a couple of days later, Kíli had walked past the 5th-floor corridor to find Dwalin, Bilbo, and Lady Galadriel there, standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the statue of Gregory the Smarmy. Stopped in mid-strike, Kíli watched in mesmerisation as they took turns to wave their wands in intricate patterns while chanting incantations that he knew not of. The raw power of their magic combined, Bilbo's included, was almost overwhelming to Kíli’s much-enhanced Sense.

“We figured that the combined power of Dwarf, Hobbit, and Elf magic works best to protect the castle, laddie.” Dwalin smiled at him even though Kíli could spot the dark circles under his sharp blue-grey eyes. Kíli even thought that he could spot more silvery strands in his dark beard, although that might just be his imagination. “We don’t wanna another episode of what happened to ya.” His eyes narrowed and his nose flared.

“Are you sealing off all the secret passageways then?”

Lady Galadriel nodded. She looked as beautiful as ever, especially compared to the much thinner and haggard-looking Bilbo next to her. Kíli had to wonder what happened to his gentle Herbology professor. He could barely remember seeing him smile these days. He was not alone, however. Even Lady Galadriel’s ethereal radiance seemed to have dimmed slightly under the recent avalanche of work and the immense pressure put on all the professors in the castle. “We’re working with Alfrid to identify all of them so no one from the outside can infiltrate the castle that way. We believe that is how Azog got in.”

After a moment’s hesitation, because he did miss the sweets from Honeydukes now that Hogsmeade weekends were more a distant dream than the reality, Kíli said, “Have you checked the one-eyed witch statue, you know, the one by the stairs to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom? There’s a passage beneath that statue. It leads to the cellar to Honeydukes.”

Both Lady Galadriel and Dwalin snapped their heads around. This was one passageway that they knew nothing of. Glad to be of some help, Kíli quickly volunteered all the secret passageways that he could remember from the Marauder’s map.

“Thank you very much, Kíli.” Lady Galadriel’s smile was as bright as it used to be. “This is extremely helpful.”

“Don’t worry, laddie.” Dwalin patted Kíli on the back, nearly sending him to the ground. “We won’t let that happen again. That scumbag won’t ever lay another figure on ya, I swear.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“It is odd, isn’t it?” Kíli said as everyone went back to their breakfast. “We only know those passageways because of the map. How does Azog know about them? Alfrid doesn’t even know all of them.”

Fíli put down his fork. “I’ve been wondering the same thing. There’s only one explanation. Azog must have got the Marauder’s map somehow.”

“How?” Gimli mumbled through his mouthful of sausages. “He’s never even set foot in the castle after the map is lost.”

It was such a valid point that Kíli had to take it into serious consideration. “That is odd. Maybe someone sent it to him. But you wouldn’t think that with him on the run, he could still receive mail.”

“We don’t even know who stole the map from Kíli.” Ori joined the conversation too. “Whoever did that must have given it to Azog.”

If this had happened a couple of years ago, Kíli would have said that it was Bolg who orchestrated the whole thing. Now that Bolg was estranged from his father and virtually a Squib, Kíli had to come up with some other theories. “It must be whoever kidnapped Legolas then. We never caught him and he’s got to be a Dark Wizard, maybe even a Death Eater. So, an old pal of Azog then. Surely he could have found a way to pass the map to Azog.”

“Maybe…” Fíli said slowly, though his knitted eyebrows told Kíli that he was not entirely convinced. “But at least he won’t be able to use the map now that the professors are informed of the passageways. I’m sure that the magic of Professor Dwalin, Lady Galadriel, and Professor Bilbo combined would be enough to deter him. I wonder what Azog will try next.”

To everyone’s great surprise and relief, absolutely nothing happened in the following month. Even though the Aurors still had no idea where Azog was, the lack of any kind of suspicious activities had put the wizarding public into a, possibly false, sense of security.

“He must have done a runner,” Gimli said in a hopeful tone. “I know he’s a complete nutter now but even a nutter has some kind of sense, self-preservation, you know. I mean, he was nearly captured last time.”

Kíli and Fíli, on the other hand, were less hopeful. Knowing Azog, Kíli was almost certain that instead of laying low and turning a new leaf, Azog was planning something, something big. It was painfully frustrating not to know what was coming.

“I’m just glad Quidditch is not affected,” Gimli said as he laid down on the grass under the beech tree. Now that the weather had improved drastically, everyone was eager to take full advantage of that. While Hogsmeade was still out of bounds, the castle grounds became much more crowded than usual. Kíli could see Legolas sitting on the bank of the Black Lake with his Elf friends, his long silky hair flowing down his shoulders. Bain and Thorin Stonehelm-Ironfoot, on the other hand, were talking to, Kíli had to squint his eyes to be sure, Sam with Frodo standing slightly behind him. Another unexpected guest to the party was Sigrid, who was next to her brother. What an odd group!

“Those little treacherous bastards,” Gimli said, without any real malice. “Fraternising with the enemy!”

Sure enough, Sam nodded animatedly before dragging Frodo into the open field, where they soon commenced a 3-a-side friendly Quidditch match.

“Come on,” Ori said, “it’s only Bain and Thorin. Besides, there’s nothing wrong for Frodo and Sam to have friends outside of Gryffindor.”

“Nothing wrong?” Gimli pushed himself up on his elbow, looking more serious now. “Sigrid is on the Ravenclaw team. We’re playing Ravenclaw soon!”

Fíli sniggered. Gimli turned on him immediately. “What are you laughing at?”

“I just find it interesting that you of all people can chastise someone else for fraternising with the enemy.”

“Oh,” Gimli’s face turned red and he plopped back down on his back, his eyes fixed resolutely on the sky, “anyway, Kíli, how do you fancy our chances? Do you think we can kick those Ravenclaw arses and win the Cup? No offence.” He smirked at Fíli.

Shaking his head in amusement, Fíli said, “We’re more than prepared for the match. We’re not going to let the Cup slip out of our hands ever again.”

The final Quidditch match this year had drawn particular attention because everyone was eager to find out how the almost brand new Gryffindor team would hold up against the Mighty Ravenclaw. Even the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs were more than usually invested because they were dying to see who their opponents for the next five years were made of. Kíli, on the other hand, was feeling the pressure of his Captaincy. They were trailing behind Ravenclaw by only 10 points. It all hangs on this match.

Though a new team, Kíli was relatively happy with his recent recruits. They had shown great potential, particularly Sam and Frodo. It was hard not to feel old as he watched the young blood grow, ready to take their places. While Sam’s place in the first team was guaranteed with the graduation of Katie Bell, Frodo had to wait for another year. He was, however, extremely glad that he had given the youngsters a chance. His only concern was whether they were good enough to stand up to the Ravenclaws.

Due to the heightened security, all Quidditch practices had to conclude before sundown. Even with the longer daylight hours, Kíli found this new restriction annoying and inconvenient. He understood it of course. But it was hindering their preparation for the match, which they desperately needed.

“Don’t worry,” Sam said with a bright smile after their Wednesday practice right before the match, “We’re going to win this. We’ve worked so hard, haven’t we, Frodo?”

Frodo’s shy smile was less certain yet much more soothing. Kíli wondered if he was ever this timid in his first year. Just as he was immensely grateful for Fíli’s help, Frodo was almost attached to the hips to Sam, whose cheerful winning personality made him very popular both inside and out of Gryffindor.

When the day of the match finally came, Kíli was a bundle of nerves. He found it particularly hard this year because he had to present a confident front to his team, who was looking towards him for guidance. How Tauriel and Aragorn did this so gracefully was forever beyond him. Although come to think of it, Aragorn probably achieved it without too much difficulty. Anyone would look dignified and poised with a maniacal Oliver Wood standing next to them.

“Good luck!” Sam, who was not playing now that Katie Bell was no longer part Hippogriff, said warmly to everyone on the team. “You’ll do great!”

The crowd in the stands were one of the largest Kíli could remember. They erupted into loud cheers and jeers when both teams walked into the Pitch. This never failed to pump Kíli with Quidditch adrenaline, just as it did this time. Standing opposite him was Fíli, the Captain badging shining on his chest. Despite his nerves, Kíli could not help but feel a surge of pride for both him and Fíli. This was something they had both dreamt of when they first came to Hogwarts. Look where they are now!

Once the match started, all other thoughts disappeared from Kíli’s mind. There was only one thing that mattered: winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor. This meant that he had no choice but to catch the Snitch, preferably early because the Ravenclaw Chasers and Beaters were just that good.

The progress of the match confirmed Kíli’s assumptions. Despite Gryffindor’s best effort, they were simply less skilled than the superior Ravenclaw team, who had played as if they had done so all their lives. They were behind by 50 points after 30 minutes. Kíli could see Frodo’s anxious face in the sidelines while Sam still rallied on, shouting and cheering at the top of his voice. This gave Kíli new hope. The match was not lost yet. If he could catch the Snitch, they could still…

“Oh…” Luna Lovegood’s dreamy voice sounded slightly surprised, “That is a bit odd. Is that…”

Kíli whipped his head around, only to find Luna’s comment to be the understatement of the year because surely a group of Ministry officials had never invaded a Hogwarts Quidditch match before.

“Attention, please!” Lady Galadriel’s magically magnified voice made everyone, including the players from both teams, snapped their heads around in her direction. “I regret to inform you that this Quidditch match is suspended until further notice. Audiences, please follow your Head of House back to your House. Players, please report to Professor Bard.”

Kíli stared. Surely he had heard Lady Galadriel wrong. She could not cancel a Quidditch match like this, let alone one that was currently in progress! Everyone else seemed to share the same sentiment, as the murmuring of the crowd could be heard even in the air.

“What in the name of Merlin’s soggiest pants is going on?” Gimli’s question was answered by Fíli, who flew to them, his face grave.

“Something serious must have happened. Look at them.”

The Staff stand confirmed Fíli’s suspicion. Kíli’s heart sank when he saw Gandalf frowning deeply with his arms crossed in front of his chest while he talked to the Ministry official. Next to him, Dwalin was gripping his wand hard with a sombre expression on his face. Thorin, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. He must have left with the other Heads of House to escort their students back to the castle.

“What could be so serious that they have to cancel a Quidditch match?” Kíli asked Fíli once they were safely on the ground.

“I don’t know. Oh, sorry.” Walking on his tiptoes to see what was happening, Fíli bumped into Sigrid. Kíli had never seen Fíli so anxious before. “It must concern Hogwarts security. But I can’t for the life of me think of…” his voice trailed off when he saw Bard striding towards them.

After doing a quick headcount, Bard nodded at them solemnly and beckoned them forward. Kíli, however, could no longer stay silent. “Sir, what on earth is going on?”

Without stopping or even looking at Kíli, his eyes still scanning the sky, his body taut, Bard said quickly, “Now is not the time, Kíli. We need to get you into the castle as quickly as possible.” He turned to Fíli and Gimli. “Please take your wand out. Keep your eyes sharp and your wits about. I trust that as Prefects, you know your responsibilities.”

Kíli opened his mouth but Fíli and Gimli followed Bard’s instruction without another word. All the jovial smiles were gone from Gimli’s face while Fíli looked ready to strike. Kíli sighed and took his wand out as well. He might not be a Prefect, but he was the Captain of his team and he was going to make sure that none of them would get hurt.

The journey back to the castle had never felt so long. The tension in the air was palpable but everyone maintained at least a veneer of calm. Nobody talked but Kíli could see Sam holding Frodo’s hand tightly. Sigrid, on the other hand, was walking so close to her father that she kept bumping into him. They were not far behind the main crowd, which, thanks to the combined efforts of all the Heads of House and the Prefects, had not descended into utter chaos. Kíli turned his eyes back to the sky, which was still a lovely shade clear blue with no sign of anything other than some occasional clouds. What were they supposed to be looking for? Flying monsters?

Bard only relaxed once they were inside the castle. The moment the last one in their group, Fíli, was inside, Gandalf, who had been standing by the front door, raised his wand. Waving in intricate patterns, he muttered incantations in languages that were foreign to Kíli. He did know that it was powerful protective spells because his Sense was perking up. Gandalf was sealing the castle from outside attacks.

“Please go back to your Common Rooms,” Bard said to the group, who nodded obediently. Smiling with grim satisfaction, he then turned to Fíli and Kíli, “Professor Thorin would like to see you two in his office. Please follow me.”

It was hard not to let his mind wander in all sorts of unpleasant directions but Kíli tried his best. Fortunately, the trip to the dungeon was short enough that his imagination had not had the time to run away with him. The presence of Thorin and Dwalin certainly helped calm his nerves. “Sir!”

Thorin looked equally relieved that Fíli and Kíli were standing in front of him, safe and sound. “Good, you’re both here. Let’s wait for the others.”

The others turned out to be Lady Galadriel, Elrond, Bilbo, and Gandalf. It was Gandalf who spoke. “Good morning, Fíli and Kíli. I trust you must have numerous questions on your mind regarding the unusual situation we find ourselves in. I do apologise for the drastic measure but we believe that it is the best course of action. A piece of highly disturbing news has reached us during the Quidditch match, as I am sure you have witnessed. There has been a mass breakout from Azkaban.”

Kíli was sure his jaw had just hit the floor. A mass breakout from Azkaban? How was that even possible? Fíli, on the other hand, was in much better control of his emotions. “Is Azog involved?”

“We do not know for sure,” said Gandalf, keeping his tone carefully neutral, “But we have reasons to suspect so. The magical residue left is very similar to the aftermaths of Azog’s breakout.”

“Who has escaped?” asked Bilbo. Clearly, the details of the news were not common knowledge even amongst the staff.

“Former Death Eaters, the most notorious kind. Antonin Dolohov, Bellatrix Lestrange, to name but a few. A total of 7 of them.”

The name Antonin Dolohov made Kíli cringe. His chest, where Dolohov’s self-invented Dark Spell had hit, ached uncontrollably. He simply could not imagine what sort of havoc 7 of them could wreak.

“And they’re heading for Hogwarts?” Elrond asked sharply. “Surely they would target the Ministry first.”

“We don’t know what their plan is, for nobody has seen them since their escape. But the Ministry is taking every precaution in case of an attack and the Minister feels that Hogwarts should do the same. I have to agree with him. If we are correct in our assumption that Azog is behind the breakout, it behoves us to treat his personal aspiration as the main motivation for their future actions. Given Azog’s,” he shot a quick look at Thorin before continuing, “obsession with the Arkenstone and its rumoured location, one can make an educated guess that he has his eyes on Hogwarts.”

Now Kíli understood why he and Fíli were singled out and included in this highly important conversation. If Azog was coming for the Arkenstone, he was also coming for his and Fíli’s lives! No wonder they stopped the Quidditch match.

“So what’s the plan?” Bilbo asked, his hands tugging on his robes anxiously. “What do we tell our students? Surely you don’t want to incite a wave of panic.”

Dwalin glowered, not at Bilbo but at the situation they found themselves in. “I doubt we have a choice. This is not something yeh can hush up. The Daily Prophet is bound to report it. The school will know by tomorrow.”

Gandalf nodded gravely. “I’m afraid that Dwalin is right. We have to inform the students so they can stay vigilant. While we have tolerated some mischievous behaviours before, we must tighten security, for their own good. I will summon the Head Boy and Girl and all the Prefects for a meeting this afternoon. The formal announcement will be made during dinner this evening.” He turned to Kíli and Fíli. “I must stress the importance of these extra measures, especially for you two. You must under no circumstances leave the castle without a chaperon. I understand it will feel restrictive. But until we understand their motives and next steps, we must err on the side of caution.”

“Do you think they’ll really attack Hogwarts?” Kíli asked Fíli in a low voice once they were out of Thorin’s office. Bard was walking tactfully behind them, giving them some privacy to discuss what had just happened.

Fíli shook his head, his eyes wide. “I don’t know. This is just, it’s never happened before. I still can’t believe that it’s real!”

You can say that again, Kíli thought. While it was shocking to him that such breach of security could happen in a heavily fortified prison, he did not grow up with the conviction that Azkaban was unbreakable, nor was he subjected to the tales of terror of the Dementors. He could only imagine how shocking this piece of news must be to someone like Fíli. “I know. It’s a good thing that the professors have sealed off the secret passageways. I can’t think of any other way for them to infiltrate Hogwarts.”

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When the news was announced during dinner that night, the whole school erupted into a pandemonium of loud cries and shrieks. Some first-years even burst into tears. Every single one of those who grew up in the Wizarding World had heard of the atrocities committed by those Death Eaters. Some were as infamous as the Dark Lord, eliciting just as much fear when their names were mentioned. Kíli saw Frodo’s face turned white as paper, his eyes unfocused, his lips trembling uncontrollably. Next to him, Sam put his arm around Frodo’s rigid shoulders while whispering soothing words into his ear. Yet even Sam looked paler than usual, despite his brave front.

“Poor Frodo,” Gimli said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, “it must be hard, knowing that your parents’ tormentor is out.”

“What?”

“Right,” Gimli looked sheepish now, “er, I forgot. Well, I… I thought everyone knew at this point.”

Even though Kíli felt bad to pry, he simply could not help his curiosity. Besides, if everyone knew already, surely there could be no harm for him to know.

“Fine,” Gimli sighed when he saw Kíli’s puppy eyes, “I suppose it can’t hurt to tell you since you need to know who we’re dealing with. But have you wondered why Frodo’s guardian is Bilbo?”

Now that Gimli had mentioned it, Kíli wondered why he had never thought about that. “I dunno. I suppose I just assumed that Frodo lost his parents like all the other orphans.”

“Well, this might be common during the time of war. But Frodo is 5 years younger than us. He was born more than 2 years after the war ended.”

Kíli frowned. “But I thought you said…”

“He lost his parents to Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the most devoted and maniacal Death Eaters you’ll ever meet. Believe it or not, she was said to be even worse than Azog. A complete nutter, according to dad. Anyway, once the Dark Lord was gone, Bellatrix went completely mental. When she first disappeared, everyone thought that she had done a runner like so many other Death Eaters, leaving her Death Eater husband behind to be captured and thrown into Azkaban. But in fact, she was gone because she was looking for ways to resurrect the Dark Lord. After travelling the world for 2 years, going everywhere, doing the most depraved magic, and yet still failed, she came back to England. This time, she decided that someone in the Ministry and the Order must know more. So she kidnapped Frodo’s parents, both of them Aurors when they were out on a mission.”

Kíli gasped. He could sense where this story was going and he knew he was not going to like it.

“Bellatrix’s speciality,” Gimli’s face turned into a disgusted scowl, “is the Cruciatus curse.”

“No!” Kíli could not help it. The memory of his torture under Azog’s wand came flooding back to him. He could feel himself going cold. The pain was debilitating. He could not move. He could not even scream.

“Kíli, Kíli!” Gimli had to shake him out of his stupor. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry,” Kíli muttered an apology, trying to get himself together. When he looked up, he saw Fíli, sitting at the Ravenclaw table as their Prefect, looking at him with such concern that he felt himself warm up slowly. It was over. Azog was banished from the castle. He was safe.

“Well, er, you can guess what happened next.” Gimli shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “By the time they had captured Bellatrix, Frodo’s parents had already lost their mind.”

“So where are they now?” Kíli asked in a small and trembling voice, fearing the answer.

“St. Mungo’s,” Gimli said shortly, his voice thick. “They have a place for, you know.”

Kíli closed his eyes. He had always thought that he had been dealt a bad hand by fate. Now he was not sure. What is worse, not remembering ever meeting your parents, or knowing that your parents are still alive yet completely insane, not even recognising you? He never knew that fate could be so cruel to someone as sweet as Frodo. “I’m sorry.”

“I know. You can imagine the outrage. Frodo’s parents are well-loved, not to mention Bilbo’s brother and sister-in-law. Bellatrix was sent to Azkaban straight away. They only brought her out for her trial so everyone could spat on her. But you know what she did. She laughed and laughed, saying that the Dark Lord would reward her beyond all others because she looked for him, did everything she could to bring him back! Complete nutter, I tell you. That’s what you get for doing the darkest magic, I suppose.”

This was not the first time Kíli had heard about the effect of some Dark Magic on the performer. It was a constant theme during their N.E.W.T. Defence Against the Dark Arts classes because the magic they were dealing with was so much more advanced. Yet none of that had the same effect as seeing Frodo’s pale face and trembling hands.

The next morning was equally morose when the mail brought fresh copies of the Daily Prophet. Kíli gasped when Fíli unrolled the newspaper from the delivering owl. The front page was covered with black and white moving pictures of 7 sneering Death Eaters who had just escaped from Azkaban. Strangely enough, Azog’s picture was nowhere to be seen.

“That’s odd,” said Ori, who was reading his very own copy of the newspaper. “They didn’t even mention Azog in the article.”

“I’m not surprised,” Fíli said, frowning deeply as he read the article. “They don’t want the public to know that their failure to capture Azog is the cause of this massive breakout. I guess it makes sense. Everyone’s going to be panicking enough without the added reminder that the mastermind of it all is still at large.”

Kíli shook his head. No matter how noble Fíli made it sound, he still thought that the Ministry was trying to cover up their incompetence. He wondered whether that was the reason that the Daily Prophet had chosen to use the picture of the prisoners when they were first committed to Azkaban when they still looked healthy and arrogant. Having come face to face with the escaped Azog, Kíli could only imagine what long-term imprisonment could do to the other prisoners.

Out of the 7 Death Eaters, only one was female, which made it easy for Kíli to spot Bellatrix Lestrange. He did not know what he was expecting but a strikingly beautiful witch in her mid-30s was not it. Her long, thick, and silky hair, which was raven black, framed her pale face. The strong jaw, thin lips, heavily-lidded eyes, and the smirking smile all made her look imperial and haughty. Kíli could bet his life that she came from one of the oldest and probably the most bigoted Pureblood families. Judging by her height relative to the Auror standing next to her, she could easily be an Elf. Kíli doubted it, however. When he looked closer at her eyes, he thought he could detect the maniacal gleam that Gimli had alluded to, even from the photo. And this was before she was incarcerated in Azkaban for almost 10 years. Kíli shuddered to imagine her current mental state.

“This is not looking good,” said Gimli, who was reading the newspaper from Ori’s shoulders. “Bellatrix Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Fenrir Greyback, Rodulphus and Rabastan Lestrange… These are the most notorious and dangerous Death Eaters. And the Ministry has no idea where they are!”

“Of course they don’t.” Kíli felt anger boiling up inside his chest. “They still haven’t a bloody clue where Azog is! How can they hope to capture all 8 of them now?”

“Maybe not,” said Fíli thoughtfully. “I can’t deny that the task facing the Ministry is much more daunting now that all 8 of them are operating together, making them a formidable force. But I believe that they will soon be spotted. With more people, especially people as unhinged as the escapees, comes the added chance of exposure. If the Aurors know how to plan and communicate, they might stand a better chance at locating and capturing them.”

This was something Kíli had never thought of before. It made complete sense. Now that Fíli had mentioned, Kíli found it extremely hard to imagine someone as mentally unstable as Bellatrix to stay hidden for long. Surely they would have done something soon to make their whereabouts known to the whole Wizarding World. He could only hope that whatever they were planning would not succeed. He could not bear another attack on the orphanage.

To everyone’s surprise, absolutely nothing happened in the next week. Hogwarts security had increased to such a level that Kíli was sure that nobody, not even the Dark Lord himself in his prime, could infiltrate the castle. Quidditch and Hogsmeade weekends were all cancelled, as were any other activities outside the castle that were not strictly necessary. At least two professors accompanied the students if they did need to venture out of the castle. Prefect patrolling duties had doubled, which had put Fíli, who was taking more classes than any other Prefects, under a lot of stress. But even that was not enough, because patrolling the castle was not limited to just at night. It was now a common scene to walk past an Auror in the corridor. Kíli bumped into Aragorn at least twice in one week. Even all the mail posts, both in and out of the castle, were searched.

As a result of the increased security and the ever-mounting workload on the professors, Kíli’s private lessons with Thorin were suspended. Thorin still insisted that he met with Dwalin at least once a week.

“Your extra Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons are ever more critical now,” Thorin said firmly during their last private Potions lesson. “While the lack of potineering skills might be lamentable, it would not kill you in a duel. You must, therefore, make lessons with Dwalin a top priority. Ideally, I would have loved to include Fíli as well but I doubt that the added workload will do his physical and mental health any good.”

Since Kíli loved both Defence Against the Dark Arts and Dwalin, this was no chore for him. “Of course, sir. I promise I’ll give it my most.”

Thorin nodded. “Very well. Now,” he hesitated for a moment before opening up a drawer in his desk. Kíli watched with keen interest as Thorin extracted a small pendant and handed it over to him. Upon closer inspection, Kíli saw that it was a small locket with a raven engraved on it. Even though he was only half a Dwarf who knew nothing about precious metal, Kíli could tell that it was extremely expensive. The surface felt smooth and cool to touch while the raven looked so real that Kíli was taken aback. There seemed to be faint light emanating from the surface, which was paler than silver. When Kíli turned it around, he could see engraved Khuzdûl on the back of the locket in beautiful cursive writing.

“This locket used to belong to your father.” Thorin’s words made Kíli snap up immediately. “It’s been in the Durin family for centuries. He used to wear it all the time but he, er, lost it during the War. It was not until after the Dark side was vanquished that we recovered it.”

Kíli stared. A family heirloom. But how come…

“I must admit that I decided to keep it for personal and selfish reasons.” Thorin closed his eyes. “I have no excuse for it, even less so as I did not mention it when I first met you, not until now. I could only ask for your forgiveness.”

Kíli looked back down at the locket. He knew that Thorin, despite being the leader of the Dwarves, never craved material gain. His only motivation for holding onto it for so many years must be for keepsake then. Or was it because of its magical properties, which was so strong that Kíli’s Sense was almost overwhelmed?

“It has some powerful magical properties, mostly protective ones,” Thorin explained. “I’d like you to wear it at all times. We still don’t know what lies ahead. Any additional protection we could afford on you will put our mind at ease.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli finally realised just how clueless he was, not just about his own relationship.

After putting the locket necklace dutifully on, Kíli walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room with Thorin, who insisted on escorting him. It was already late so Kíli was not surprised to hear Gimli’s loud snores when he opened the door to his dormitory. Once again grateful for the wonderful magic of Silencing Charm, Kíli waved his wand after he climbed onto his four-poster bed. Now he could sleep in peace, at least theoretically. 

To Kíli’s surprise, he had the best night’s rest for the longest time in recent memory. He was so used to the nightmares that he had all but given up hope on fighting them himself. While Occlumency helped with the milder cases, he had to rely on Fíli and Thorin when the situation deteriorated, often quite quickly. It was something he deeply resented yet could do nothing about. That night, however, it was almost as if he had Thorin next to him in his four-poster bed, his steady heartbeat calming Kíli down. He slept so deeply that he did not wake up once in the night or even dream. Was it possible that a necklace could make such a difference?

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Kíli’s concern that Fíli might notice his newly-acquired jewellery was proven quite unnecessary because when he turned up for breakfast the next morning, there was only one topic in the entire school: the escaped Death Eaters’ attack on Thranduil’s mansion the night before.

“What the hell?” Kíli stared as he sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to Fíli and Ori. He had never seen the Great Hall so subdued before. In every table, students were huddled together, their heads close and whispering to each other. Nobody was smiling. Nor did anyone look remotely tired, which was so unusual that Kíli had to check the time. Every now and then, a student would rise from their table and walk stealthily to another one. This common practice, however, was often met with startled jumps. Something was seriously wrong.

“So you haven’t heard.” Fíli’s face was so solemn that Kíli felt his heart sink. “There was a Death Eater attack last night.”

“What?” Kíli’s loud voice amidst the unusually quiet Great Hall drew him the attention of the entire school. Feeling his face heat up, Kíli slouched in his seat and lowered his voice. “Where did they attack?”

“Greenleaf Manor.”

“Legolas’s dad?” Kíli snapped his head around and sure enough, Legolas was nowhere to be found in the Slytherin table. In his mind’s eye, Kíli could almost imagine what happened in the last hours of the night before, Thorin striding through the dungeon corridor in his lime green nightshirt, Legolas being shaken awake from his bed, Gandalf breaking the tragic news to Legolas. Kíli felt his heart go out to the Slytherin. “Is anyone, you know…”

Fíli closed his eyes. “Thranduil was badly hurt. I believe that he’s in St Mungos now. And,” he swallowed hard, “Galion…”

As if doused by a bucket of ice water, Kíli gasped and nearly choked. “No!”

“Galion started working for Lord Thranduil after he graduated from Hogwarts,” Ori said, his eyes red and still wet. Kíli could see tear stains on his friend’s pale face. “His family has been working for Lord Thranduil for generations.”

“They said that he fought valiantly,” Fíli said in a low voice. “Thranduil would not have survived without his sacrifice.”

“Oh, god!” Kíli cried. He could hardly believe it. Galion, their Head Boy, a somewhat clumsy but good-natured and kind Hufflepuff, who was walking and talking in the castle barely a year ago, now dead, at the hands of the escaped Death Eaters. It could not be true! He refused to believe it. “Oh, god! I…”

“I know.” Fíli put his arm around Kíli and rested his head on Kíli’s shoulder. “I know.”

“But why attack Thranduil?” Kíli almost missed Ori’s question in his shocked state. This whole thing made no sense! He thought that Hogwarts and they, Fíli and himself, were the target. Nobody else was supposed to be hurt and Galion… Oh, Galion!

“I don’t know. I find it highly irregular as well. Maybe they are angry that Thranduil has decided to retract his stance of neutrality,” answered Fíli, his hand still rubbing soothing circles on Kíli’s back.

Just as it did countless times before, Fíli’s mere presence was enough to soothe Kíli. Once he had calmed down enough, he began to ponder the question. While Fíli’s conjecture was plausible, Kíli did not think that it was the real reason. He might expect the pre-Azkaban Azog to regard Thranduil’s political stance noteworthy. But the Azog after Azkaban was completely different if their brief yet regrettable encounter was anything to go by. He had lost most of his cunning. The worst part was, Azog was probably the sanest one in the group. If Kíli were to hazard a guess, he would say that Azog’s motive to attack Thranduil was much more direct and straightforward.

“Poor Legolas,” Ori, in his usual kind and gentle manner, cared a great deal about the sufferings of their fellow student. He sighed deeply when his eyes swept past the Slytherin table, which, despite being only one person short, looked surprisingly deserted. “How’s he going to cope with it all? He loves and idolises his father!”

“Where is he now?”

“Professor Gandalf granted him the permission to visit his father in St Mungo’s last night,” said Fíli. “Lady Galadriel took him there. I think he’s back in the castle so I reckon he’s sleeping now. It’s been such a trying night for him.”

Kíli could not help but feel a sense of solidarity with Legolas. Even though they were never close, Legolas had changed so much, especially since the end of the last school year that they were almost friendly with each other. He could only imagine what kind of hell the Slytherin was in for he had been through the exact same thing barely 5 months ago. Legolas almost lost his father to the same Death Eater who brutally murdered Kíli’s. “I hope he’s going to be alright. He doesn’t deserve this. Nobody does! That bastard Azog!” Even the mention of his name made Kíli’s blood boil. “If I ever get my hand on him.”

“Legolas will be fine,” Fíli said quickly, probably to drag the subject away from Azog. “He’s got friends and family and those who care about him. By the way, Tauriel went to visit Thranduil last night as well!”

This piece of news had the desired effect on Kíli. “Tauriel? I thought she hated Thranduil.”

Fíli smiled. “I don’t think she does. Okay, I know that she never cared for Thranduil before but even then, hate is a strong word for someone who has given you shelter and food for so long and asks nothing in return. She just does not agree with a lot of Thranduil’s ideas. But now that Thranduil himself has changed and Tauriel has grown older, I believe their relationship is, if not particularly close, at least perfectly amicable.”

If Kíli had heard this 3 years ago, he would have felt betrayed. One thing that connected him with Tauriel was their mutual contempt for Legolas, Thranduil, and everything that they stood for. Now, however, he could understand what Fíli was trying to say. People change and this world is rarely black and white. Tauriel, despite her fiery temper, had learnt this lesson too it seemed.

While Kíli fully expected Legolas to miss the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, he was surprised bt Gimli's absence. Now that he came to think of it, he did not remember seeing Gimli since he woke up that morning. That in itself was not unusual. Gimli always possessed an inordinate amount of energy, especially when food, Quidditch, and magical beasts were concerned. Yet Gimli was not at the breakfast table, something highly peculiar, and now he had skived off Defence Against the Dark Arts.

“Do yeh lads know where Gimli is?” Gimli’s absence was clearly not planned when Dwalin scanned around the classroom and asked the class with a frown.

Everyone’s eyes were on Kíli, Fíli, and Ori, which made perfect sense. The only problem was they had no idea. Or did they?

“Hmm, he, er,” Ori's eyes were wide as a deer caught in the headlight, “well, he’s tied up elsewhere, sir.”

Dwalin arched an eyebrow. “I’m sorry?”

“He’s not feeling that well, sir.” Fíli sounded much calmer and certainly more convincing. “He has to miss the class so he can get some rest.”

It was hard not to stare at Fíli and give their game away. Did Fíli know where Gimli was and was covering for him with a plausible lie or was he simply bluffing?

“I see,” Dwalin said slowly, his eyes still on Fíli. “Well, in that case, please ask him to come and see me when he’s feeling better.”

Kíli did not see Gimli until lunch that day, which he fully expected. The only thing that could draw Gimli out of his hiding place was surely food. He did not, however, expect to find him sitting at the Slytherin table, his arms around…

“Holy mother of…”

“Oh, dear.” Ori’s soft cry finally tore Kíli’s eyes from Gimli and Legolas. He followed Ori’s line of sight and immediately understood why. In the Staff Table, Gloín’s face was dark as the angry sky right before the thunderous storm. Clearly, Kíli was not the only one surprised by this secret friendship.

“Since when did Gimli become best friends with Legolas?”

Ori looked on the verge of exasperation and laughter. In the end, he settled for a sigh. “I, well, I don’t think it’s my story to tell. Why don’t you ask Gimli when you see him next? I doubt he can spend another night with Legolas without Professor Gloín blowing up.”

“He spent…” Kíli could not believe his ears. “What, when, how?”

“Legolas was completely distraught when he heard the news last night. I can’t blame him,” Fíli said sympathetically. “Imagine your father in a critical condition and one of your childhood friends killed. In the end, they had to summon Gimli because he was the only one who could calm Legolas down. Gimli went to St Mungo’s with Legolas and Lady Galadriel. That’s why he was missing this morning. They were up all night and needed time to rest.”

That certainly explained Gimli’s mysterious absence that morning. But it left just as many questions. “How come I didn’t know this when you all do? I was in the dormitory for heaven’s sake. Actually, how come Professor Dwalin doesn’t know about it?”

“I’m surprised that you didn’t know, to be perfectly honest,” said Fíli. “I thought they would wake you up when Lady Galadriel went to fetch Gimli. Sure, she was very delicate and considerate but still.”

Was he in such deep sleep last night that he was not even disturbed by Gimli’s departure? “Okay, let’s just say that I was passed out last night. But how come Professor Dwalin doesn’t know? Surely Professor Thorin would have told him.”

“I think uncle did it out of respect for Gimli and Legolas’s wish to keep their relationship a secret. If anyone’s going to tell, it should be them and out of their own volition.”

“Relation…” Kíli nearly choked. Next to him, Ori closed his eyes under his hand. “So you knew all along!”

“Kíli,” Ori said patiently, “we were not trying to keep it a secret from you. Gimli did not exactly tell us. We just, well, figured it out.”

This hurt more than Kíli would have liked to admit. How could he be so clueless? Gimli was his roommate! If anyone was going to find out about Gimli’s secret relationship, it was supposed to be him. What was worse, none of his friends told him about it. He was the only one in the dark.

“We were not trying to hide anything from you, Kíli,” said Fíli softly, reading Kíli’s expression with frightening accuracy. “We simply did not want to burden you with even more. We all know the strain you’re under and the nightmares you’ve been having. Gimli only went to see Legolas when you were out of the dormitory. He was also scared. You know what Professor Gloín is like. He’s been trying to arrange a political marriage for Gimli for years. Even if you disregard the frosty relationship between Dwarves and Elves, particularly with Thranduil, Professor Gloín will not like Gimli’s choice.”

Kíli looked over at the Slytherin table. Gimli was sitting so close to Legolas that Legolas’s smooth and silvery blond hair fell on Gimli’s shoulders. Even though Kíli could not see their hands, he was sure that they were clasped together underneath the table. Legolas was so pale that he was almost translucent. The only colour on his handsome face, apart from his tired icy blue eyes, was the dark shadow underneath. Gimli did not look too good either. His hair was loose, an abominable crime by the Dwarf standard, while his face was drawn, probably from both physical and mental exhaustion. Despite his current state, he was still speaking tenderly to Legolas, putting some food on Legolas’s untouched plate every now and then while trying to coax him to eat. If this was not enough evidence that they were deeply in love, Kíli did not know what was.

“What do you think is going to happen now that Professor Gloín knows?” Ori asked nervously as he watched Gloín’s eyebrows draw closer and closer, his face getting stormier and stormier. When Gimli rested his head in the crook of Legolas’s neck, Gloín stood up abruptly, threw his fork and knife down, and stormed out of the Great Hall.

“Oh, dear…”

“This is not going to end well,” Fíli said in a low voice, his eyes full of worries. “There’s no way Professor Gloín will accept Gimli’s choice.”

“But why?” Kíli could not understand it. If Thorin could make concessions about him and Fíli, surely Gloín would not let his pride stand in the way of his son’s happiness.

“Professor Gloín is both proud and ambitious,” Fíli explained patiently. “I know that it may not seem like it but the Azanulbizar is a prominent Dwarf family. Some believe that they have as much right to rule the Dwarves as uncle, especially after your father’s murder and great grandpa's, you know. I think Professor Gloín never completely gives up hope that, if not through him then through Gimli, he would bring glory back to the family. I am, after all, not an Oakenshield nor a Durin.”

“That’s bullshit!” Kíli burst out. “I’m sorry. I love Gim and everything but if anyone thinks that he’s a better leader than you are, they need to get themselves checked out, probably by a psychiatrist.”

Ori chuckled while Fíli smiled. “Oh, Kíli. But you can’t blame Professor Gloín for thinking the best of Gimli. He is, after all, his son.”

Personally, Kíli thought Gloín was just a power-hungry idiot but he kept it to himself. Unlike him, who only got to know their Arithmancy professor in class, both Fíli and Ori grew up with Gimli and held Gloín in high esteem. “But if Legolas’s Gimli’s One, there’s nothing Professor Gloín can do, is there?”

The look on Fíli and Ori’s face made Kíli’s heart sink. “What?”

“Dwarves and Elves,” said Ori slowly, “well, they just can’t be each other’s Ones.”

“What do you mean can’t? Just because it hasn’t happened because of the stupid feud doesn’t mean…”

“No, Kíli, they can’t!” Ori said, firmer than Kíli would have anticipated. “Our magic is just not compatible.”

Kíli merely looked his confusion.

“Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, and Hobbits are different from Men.” Ori sat up a little straighter, his scholar mode full on. “While Men only inherited magic from marrying other magical beings, all the other four are magical beings with magic inherent to them. Magic of different races is not only distinct from each other but sometimes incompatible as well. Hobbits magic is the mildest and hence most likely to be compatible with the others. Even though it’s rare, it’s not strictly impossible for a Dwarf to have a Hobbit One. Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs, on the other hand, have fundamentally incompatible magic that there’s no possibility for them to become Ones. After all, to be each other’s One, your magic needs to at least tolerate each other. That’s why couplings between Dwarves and Elves are so rare. It almost never works out. As for Orcs…”

“That’s self-explanatory,” Kíli finished Ori’s sentences. “I see. So Legolas can’t be Gimli’s One. I honestly don’t see how Professor Gloín can allow them to be together. Being each other’s One is their only hope.”

“Maybe he’ll see reason,” Fíli said though Kíli could tell that there was no conviction in his voice. “Gimli has fallen head over heel for Legolas. It’s so silly to lose someone you truly love because of a reason like this.”

As much as Kíli would love to, he did not get a chance to talk to Gimli during the Charms double period right after lunch. Gimli did show up this time but he was sitting firmly next to Legolas and did not spare anyone else a second glance. Truth be told, Kíli wondered why they turned up in lessons. It was patently obvious that neither of them was mentally present. Legolas kept looking out of the window, his legs bouncing anxiously under the table. Gimli, on the other hand, kept his hand firmly on Legolas’s arms and his eyes on his face. Elrond, forever full of understanding, made no mention of this and continued teaching as if nothing had happened.

Fortunately, the spell they were learning that day was not particularly difficult or dangerous. All they had to do was to turn vinegar into wine. One thing that Kíli loved about Charms was how practical and fun it could be. He thoroughly enjoyed turning his bottle of vinegar into some dark crimson red wine with a distinct floral amora, his favourite. Fíli, on the other hand, went a step further.

“One of the best wines I’ve ever tasted is the Château Lafite 1869,” Fíli said as he poured his wine into a wine glass. Swirling the glass gently, he held it high to inspect it under the light, whatever for Kíli had no idea, and then smelt it. “I can’t say I’m close but it’s not bad at all.”

“Er,” Kíli looked into his wine glass and then Fíli’s. He honestly could not tell the difference but then again, he usually preferred butterbeer. Before he could pretend to compare the two, a loud crashing noise made him jump, spilling his wine down his robes. “Motherf…”

The charm, it turned out, could still be dangerous in the hand of an absent-minded Legolas. His glass just exploded. Fortunately, he had somehow managed to vanish all the vinegar so he and Gimli were only covered in fine glass shards, which was removed quickly by Elrond.

“Sorry, sir,” Legolas said in a low voice, his face red. Being one of the best students, this fiasco must be deeply embarrassing for Legolas.

Elrond, on the other hand, gave Legolas a smile full of understanding and compassion. “It’s okay, Legolas. I understand. Now, if you don’t feel up to it, you can take…”

“I’m fine,” Legolas said quickly. “I,” he swallowed and shook his head, “No, I will be fine.”

Perhaps despite his better judgement, Elrond nodded and left Legolas to his new bottle of vinegar. Once Elrond was out of sight, Gimli put his arm around Legolas’s slightly quivering shoulders, ignoring his own bottle of frozen vinegar that showed no sign of thawing. Kíli shook his head. The stubborn Slytherin and the lovesick Gimli. Hopefully, they would not blow up the entire classroom.

Fortunately, everyone made it out of the Charms lesson in one piece. When Kíli saw Legolas and Gimli walking towards Dáin’s cabin for their next Care of Magical Creatures lessons, he had to speak up.

Grabbing Gimli by the arm, Kíli yanked Gimli away before either he or Legolas could protest.

“Wha…”

“Are you completely mental?” Kíli hissed angrily. “It’s one thing to blow up a couple of bottles in Charms, quite another to accidentally trod on a troll when you have your eyes glued on the Ice Prince.”

“Don’t call him that!”

Kíli closed his eyes and prayed for patience. “Okay, I won’t. But my point still stands. You can’t go to Care of Magical Creatures in a state like this. You’ll both get killed!”

Gimli opened his mouth and closed it. “Fine. I reckon you’re right. I’ll just…” he waved his hand in Legolas’s general direction.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, because of course, only Gimli could defy his father by showing up in the arms of his star-crossed lover yet fumble at the most basic words pertaining to their relationship, Kíli nodded. “You go. I’ll tell Professor Dáin you’re not feeling well. He won’t mind, I’m sure.”

Kíli finally saw Gimli right after curfew that night. He had already given up hope, feeling certain that Gimli was planning to spend the night in the Slytherin dungeon when Gimli crashed through the dormitory door. “Blimey, Gim!”

“Sorry,” Gimli said as he clutched his sides. “Only just made it.”

Kíli stared. “You mean you sneaked out of the Slytherin Common Room and came all the way here, by yourself, with everyone patrolling the castle?”

“It wasn’t easy!” Gimli said indignantly. “Took me a lot of effort, you know.”

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Kíli asked the next obvious question. “Why do you even bother coming back then? Surely Legolas didn’t kick…”

“Of course he didn’t! It’s just…” Gimli scratched his head, his face suspiciously pink. “You try cosy up to Fíli next to the staring eyes and not to mention the ugly face of Bolg! I swear that he’s watching our every move! It’s bloody creepy!”

Against his better nature, Kíli snickered. The image was simply too vivid to ignore. “I see.”

Gimli sighed. “I wish I could have stayed. Legolas is in a really bad place.”

That wiped any humour from Kíli’s mind. “How’s he? Is he holding up alright?”

“He’s, well, you know Legolas. He’s not Thranduil’s son for nothing. He loves that,” Gimli stopped and opted for a more polite word, “er, Elf. This whole mess shook him up badly. For Legolas, there’s nothing Thranduil can’t do. Now he’s come to the realisation that his dear daddy is not invincible. It’s hard, especially now, with everything else that’s been going on. He’s also worried sick about Thranduil. They’re still not 100% sure he’s gonna make it out of this completely unscathed.”

Kíli felt a chill down his spine. If someone as powerful as Thranduil could be so easily overpowered in his own highly-fortified home, what chance did he stand against those Death Eaters? “How did that happen? Why did they go to Thranduil?”

“They practically broke into his manor using brute force,” Gimli snarled. “They’re nutters, the whole lot of them! When Galion went to confront them, they just…” His voice broke and for the first time, Kíli saw tears in Gimli’s eyes. Without another word, because frankly he was lost for words, Kíli wrapped his arms around Gimli’s shoulders.

After some more sniffles, Gimli wiped his eyes surreptitiously and continued, “It was Bellatrix who did it. Nasty crazy bitch! They wanted Thranduil to help them infiltrate Hogwarts because they’ve tried and failed so many times.”

Despite the grave situation, Kíli could not help but feel proud about the ancient castle and of course their professor’s prestigious skills at defence. “And Thranduil did not budge?”

“If Thranduil is anything, he’s proud. There’s no way he’s going to cooperate with them after they brutally murdered his protege right in front of him.”

“Why did they do that?” This made no sense to Kíli. Galion was never going to be a real threat to them.

“They’re nutters!” Gimli slammed his fist against the bedpost, his face reddening at an alarming rate. “Most of them were mentally unstable before they were sent to Azkaban because let’s face it, no one in their right mind would become a Death Eater. And they spent years in Azkaban. What do you expect?”

Wisely Kíli decided not to push the subject. It did not take a genius to see that Gimli was extremely upset about the situation and rightfully so. “I’m sorry. Poor Legolas has had a hell of a day.”

“He’ll pull through,” Gimli said firmly. “I know him. He may not look it but Legolas is extremely tough. I know him.”

“When did you, you know?”

This time, the redness in Gimli’s face was not due to rage but something else, a sight so rare that Kíli wished he had a camera to capture the moment. “I, well, you know we never liked each other before.”

“You don’t say!”

“Well, after last year’s fiasco, I went to see him at the Hospital Wing. I expected him to annihilate me and honestly, can you blame him if he did? He almost got killed because of me. But he was actually quite nice about it. I mean, okay, he was still a bit of an arse but it was almost out of habit. After that, we got talking more and, well, we have a lot more in common than we realised. You can’t believe how nice it is to just talk, about anything really. You don’t have to worry about saying the right thing so you don’t hurt his feelings because, thank Mahal, Legolas is not so easily offended. I know it sounds cliche but I’ve never felt like this with anyone before. It’s like, you know, the day just becomes a bit brighter when he smiles.”

“And he’s quite easy on the eye, you have to admit.” Kíli felt obliged to tease Gimli after this soppy though genuine declaration of love.

“Oh, shut it, Mister I-can’t-breathe-in-front-of-Fíli!”

Kíli laughed. “Oh, we’re doomed, aren’t we?”

“I reckon we are. But honestly, I’d never change it for the world.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kíli met up with Fíli and Ori the next morning for breakfast - Gimli was once again at the Slytherin table - he filled them in on what Gimli told them the night before.

“I see,” Fíli said, his brows furrowed in concentration. “That’s why they chose Thranduil. He’s one of the few parents of a Hogwarts student that carries enough weight to gain access to the castle. They must think that his past neutrality meant that he could be persuaded.”

Ori shook his head. “I still don’t understand. Why kill Galion? He’s no threat to them at all.”

“I think that is revenge for Thranduil’s decision to join the Light last year,” Fíli said thoughtfully. “One of the main reasons why the Dark side posed such a threat during the Last Wizarding War was that one of the main fractions, Thranduil and the Woodland Elves who looked at him for leadership and direction, decided to stay neutral. His change of position will tip the scale to our favour. Now that the Dark side is looking to reprise and surpass what they had tried to do before, they must ensure that Thranduil at least stays neutral. Galion trying to stop them was the last thing they wanted to see that night. Since the main motivation behind Thranduil’s stance of neutrality last time was to avoid Elf casualties and preserve Elf lives, Azog must think that this open act of violence would cower Thranduil into submission.”

This made a lot more sense than Gimli’s simple ‘Death Eaters are nutters’ explanation. Kíli could feel his heart go out to Galion, who, with his whole life ahead of him, paid the most costly price for an act of defiance and loyalty. Their former Head Boy was a Hufflepuff through and through.

Even though the Death Eaters attack on Thranduil did not yield their desired result, Gandalf and the Ministry saw no reason to slacken security in Hogwarts. Kíli’s extra lessons with Dwalin also doubled to twice a week.

“We’re going to tackle the defensive spells today,” Dwalin said as he heaved a heavy tome onto the desk in front of them. “I know it’s not much use in duelling but if yeh ever need to secure a place when yeh go somewhere, they will come in handy. It’s better to know them so yeh’ve always got yer back covered.”

Towards the end of their two-hour lesson, Kíli asked the one question he had always wanted to ask. “Sir, is there any way to defend yourself against a Killing Curse?”

Dwalin raised an eyebrow. “I thought we went over this during the regular Defence class. There are no defensive spells that can protect yeh against Avada Kedavra. It’s an Unforgivable for a good reason.”

Kíli’s heart sank. If there was no defending it, how could he possibly survive Azog, who knew all those Dark curses like the back of his ugly hand, let alone beat him to avenge his family? “So we’re doomed. They’ve got a weapon that we can’t fight against unless we use the…”

“No!” Dwalin said firmly. “Yeh should never lower yourself to that level. Killing someone rips part of yer soul away. It leaves a permanent mark on ya. Yeh will never be the same again. Why do yeh think the Death Eaters become more and more ruthless and unhinged? The more they kill, the less life matters to them. We will never stoop that low.”

“But you’ve killed in the Last Wizarding War!” Kíli did not mean to argue but the words burst out of him before he could stop it. “You can’t have survived it without killing anyone. Death Eaters did not just drop dead. And now you’re telling me not to hurt those maniacs even though it might cost me the lives of the ones I love!”

Dwalin’s face turned blank as if he was had just put on a mask. After a short pause, he said in an almost hollow voice, “That was different. We’ve all been forced to do things we hate during the war. I tried my best not to kill anyone though, not even the Death Eaters. Yeh never know if they were under the Imperius Curse. Using Avada Kedavra is different. To use the curse successfully, yeh have to gather all the darkness and hatred inside you. Yeh have to really mean it. I’ve never done that. But yes, I did kill people, a lot of them. And yes, my life is never the same. In a sense, I’m broken. We’re all broken, those of us who fought in the last war. Yeh wonder why Thorin is the way he is now. Well, the war changed him. Yeh wonder why he’s warmed up to yeh and come to enjoy yer company because, yes, he does. He wants something as bright and cheerful and full of life like yeh, so very different from us.”

Kíli could feel his face heat up in shame. He certainly did not deserve such praise from Dwalin after his appalling behaviour. “I’m so sorry, professor. I shouldn’t have said that. I was being a complete git!”

“It’s okay, laddie.” Dwalin gave him a sad smile and patted him gently on the shoulder. “I understand how yeh feel. I do,” he added at the guilty look on Kíli’s face. “Trust me, I do. I have doubts myself, especially when I was a young lad like ya. But yeh know what, we’ve got something on our side that is stronger than even the Killing Curse. There’s love, kindness, loyalty, and justice. We may lose our lives, but none of those lost will be in vain. We fought for what is right and what is good and we will triumph in the end. Galion Mirkwood did not die in vain. He died fighting for what he believed in. That is the strongest weapon against the Dark.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise in advance for the angst lol.

Given the heightened security in Hogwarts, Kíli was astonished to find a blond Dwarf who looked regal in his extravagant yet light silky robes sitting at the Staff Table during breakfast a week after the attack on Thranduil’s Manor. The robe must cost a real fortune as it was decorated with intricate embroidery in strands made from precious metals. Even more unusual was the young witch sitting next to him. She was about Kíli's age, maybe a year younger, which meant that she must still be in school. Yet Kíli had never seen her, not once in his life. Even though he could not claim to know every student at Hogwarts, he thought that he would at least recognise the girl, for she was a striking beauty with her platinum blonde hair, big emerald green eyes, sharp and pointed nose, and creamy pale skin. She was wearing a silk robe too, one in such vivid green that it brought out her eyes beautifully. Their choice of attire was a bit odd too because even though it was early May, the weather was still chilly, especially in the early morning.

“Blimey, that’s the Minister for Magic of Norway!” Ori’s eyes were wide as an owl's. “That girl must be his daughter.”

That explained both their fair complexion and choice of attire. It did not, however, shed any more light on the reason behind their presence in Hogwarts. “What are they doing here?” An idea suddenly occurred to him, making his blood chill. “Is the situation so bad that we need help from other countries?”

Fíli, however, did not look so worried. Instead, the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. “I don’t think so. No Minister for Magic would ever go on a state visit with their teenage daughter. I think,” his glance strayed to the Slytherin table, where Gimli occupied with pride and stubbornness nowadays, “this has something to do with Gimli.”

“You’re joking!” Kíli laughed. “Professor Gloín can’t possibly have asked them to come all the way to Hogwarts just so that the girl can meet Gimli!”

“I doubt that this is his only reason. I’m sure he did not mind an opportunity to liaise with such an important foreign Pureblood aristocrat. But yes, I believe that the desire for a political alliance in marriage is why Professor Gloín invited them here. I mean, look at the girl. Doesn't she remind you of someone?”

It took Kíli a while to understand what Fíli was talking about. Once he did, however, he could no longer unsee it. The resemblance between the Dwarf witch and Legolas was almost uncanny. Was that why Gloín chose her? Did he honestly think that Gimli was only infatuated with Legolas because of his beauty?

Ori shook his head. “This is mental. I wish Professor Gloín could just leave Gimli alone. He’s never going to choose her. Come to think of it, he’s much more likely to insult and offend her to tears, probably without even realising it.”

The amused smile disappeared from Fíli’s face. “That’s a good point. We can’t let that happen!”

“Why not?” Kíli shrugged. Now that he had recovered from the shock, he did find the whole situation rather amusing. “It will be good fun.”

Fíli closed his eyes and massaged his temple. “Perhaps. But how do you think the Norwegian Minister for Magic will feel when his daughter is humiliated, possibly in public, because Gimli has no tact and absolutely no filter? Antagonising a potential foreign ally is extremely unwise given the current situation. Merlin knows we need all the help we can get!”

“Right,” Kíli said firmly. “So we’ve got a situation at hand and we need to resolve this, for the sake of, I dunno, international magical cooperation or whatever. Okay, let’s make sure that Gimli does not spend any time with this girl without our presence, agreed?”

The look on Ori’s face said plainly that he thought Kíli had finally lost the plot. Fíli, on the other hand, seemed resigned. “Well, I suppose this is our only option, isn’t it? Let’s just hope that her stay here isn’t very long. We can’t stay next to Gimli all the time. Besides, we’ve got enough on our plate already.”

Fíli’s prediction, unfortunately, turned out to be quite true. Even though Kíli did his best to stay within the one-meter radius of Gimli, this was not always possible because they did have different classes and Gimli spent most of his spare time in the Slytherin Common Room, a place that was still rather unfriendly towards Kíli. He was, therefore, late to the party when the argument broke out between Gimli and his father outside the Muggle Studies classroom. The only saving grace was that the Norwegian Minister for Magic and his daughter were nowhere to be seen.

“... controlled. I’m sick of it! I love Legolas and he loves me! I’m not going to marry anyone else!”

“Enough of this nonsense.” Gloín’s deep voice could hardly contain his temper. His face red, his breathing hard and his nostrils flaring, Gloín was on the verge of an explosion. Kíli had never seen his usually collected and calculating Arithmancy Professor this livid before. “I’ve tolerated your wayward behaviour for too long. The crazy beasts and all these Muggle rubbish and everything. But this! This is a step too far! That,” he pointed to Legolas as if he was a contagious disease, “is an Elf! A Woodland Elf! The son of Thranduil!”

“Who’s now our ally and is still lying unconscious at St Mungo’s because he said NO to the Death Eaters! Besides, I don’t care who Legolas’s father is! He’s the one I love, not his father!”

“He’s a wizard! He will never give you an heir! Do you want our bloodline, our race even, to die out when you can put a stop to it?”

“I’m not a bloody stallion for breeding! I can’t help who I fall in love with!”

His face still red, Gloín turned on Legolas. “What does your father think about this madness? Surely he can’t be pleased that his only son and heir is going to gallop off with another wizard.”

“I thought you did not value my father’s opinion,” Legolas said cooly, his icy blue eyes flashing even though his countenance barely changed. “He is not aware of the situation. Apart from being in a coma, I hardly think that St Mungo’s is the appropriate place to inform him of my amorous feelings.”

“There!” Gloín pointed at Legolas in triumph. “See! He’s scared to tell his father too. Why? Because Thranduil won’t allow it either! Without the support of either family, surely…”

“However,” Legolas raised his voice ever so slightly. Kíli had to admire his regal manners and self-control. He was not Thranduil’s pureblood heir for nothing. “I fully intend to be with Gimli regardless of my father’s decision once we inform him.”

“There!” Gimli pointed at Legolas in exactly the same way Gloín just did barely a minute ago. “See! He does not care. Why? Because he loves me and that’s all that matters. So you can tell your Norwegian friends to go back to Norway and…”

“Please,” Fíli finally stepped up and put a hand on Gimli’s shoulder, “let’s all cool down a bit, shall we? There’s no point trying to resolve anything when everyone’s so, er, emotionally charged.”

“There’s no need to resolve anything.” Gloín’s face had turned from raging red to a deadly calm pale. “My position will not change so if he does not see the error of his ways, he is no son of mine.”

Everybody gasped. Kíli could not believe his ears. To disown one’s family, one’s flesh and blood, one’s only son and heir? Surely Gloín did not mean that. Fíli and Ori, however, looked as if they had heard their death knell. In fact, Ori looked even paler than Gimli.

“Fine,” said Gimli in a low voice, his face equally calm now. “In that case, I shall call you father no more if that is what you wish, sir.” He turned to Legolas, “Shall we leave now? I think this is enough excitement for one day.”

Once the crowd had dispersed, Kíli turned to Fíli and Ori. “Professor Gloín can’t be serious, can he?”

“I’m afraid he is,” Fíli said with a sigh. “Professor Gloín is never someone to make idle threats. I can’t say that we haven’t seen it coming either. He’s been angry with Gimli about so many of his choices that this must be the breaking point for him.”

“But explain this to me,” Kíli said. “If we all know that Gimli’s got a rebellious streak as wide as the Mariana Trench, why in the name of all that is good and holy does Professor Gloín think he can force Gimli into submission in something as important as this?”

“That’s how removed from reality about Gimli Professor Gloín is.” Ori joined in the conversation. Considering how close he was to Gimli, Kíli thought that Ori was probably the most knowledgeable about the situation. “He rarely spends time with Gimli, even during the holidays. He’s always working, either for Hogwarts or Erebor or for his own business. When he does talk to Gimli, it’s always about family duties and political alliances. I can’t remember the last time that they had a real conversation with each other.”

Kíli sighed. He simply could not see any way that this could end well. Perhaps in less than a month’s time, he would have two classmates who were forced to join him in being penniless and family-less. The only thing he could do was to ensure that they had got the support of their friends, just like he did when he first entered the Wizarding World.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With no Quidditch, no more Hogsmeade visits, limited access to the school ground, heightened security inside the castle, and the upcoming exams, the students found their lives in Hogwarts becoming more and more monotonous and stressful. Some even lamented the departure of the Norwegian Minister for Magic and his strikingly beautiful daughter as a lost source of distraction and gossip. Kíli was not immune to the low morale either. Gimli had steadfastly refused to reconcile with his father, leading to him being irrevocably disowned. Fíli was so busy that Kíli barely got to spend any time with him outside of class. What was worse, he did not even get to see Thorin as he was no longer taking Potions. His only comfort was in his extra Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons with Dwalin.

“Yeh know,” Dwalin said during one of their particularly difficult lessons on defensive spells using Khuzdûl, “I’ve thought about the question yeh asked the other day about spells against the Killing Curse.”

Kíli sat up straighter. He could feel the excitement rising in his chest. “Yes?”

“I came across a possible spell when I was perusing some of the ancient tomes in Erebor Library the other day.” Dwalin scratched his beard and hesitated. “I’m not entirely sure if I’m supposed to tell ya.”

Kíli nearly choked. Is Dwalin serious? How can he tell him that there is a spell that can fight the Killing Curse and not tell him what it is?! “Sir! Please! You can’t do that to me! You know I’ll die of curiosity!”

In spite of himself, Dwalin laughed. “I know, laddie. Maybe I should hold onto the information just so that yeh can learn to be a bit more patient and less nosy.”

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Kíli lost no time in deploying his most powerful weapon.

“Okay, okay!” Dwalin held up his arms in mock surrender. “No need to use yer puppy eyes on me, laddie. Fine. I will tell yeh what it is. But remember, it is extremely dangerous and might not even work so yeh are not going to use it under any circumstances, understood?”

Kíli nodded eagerly.

“So, the spell, if you can call it a spell, is an ancient one, which is why I’m not sure if it’ll work. But basically, blood sacrifice from one person can help protect others from the Killing Curse, but only against the one who cast the spell.”

“What do you…”

“The theory is,” explained Dwalin patiently, “since the Killing Curse is the act of pure evil and selfish intention, only an act of pure love and selflessness can counteract it. There have been recorded incidents where when a dark wizard cast the Killing Curse on their intended victim, someone else stepped up and took the curse for them instead. By sacrificing their life, they ensured that the dark wizard can never hurt their intended victim again. But the intent is important. Someone who accidentally stumbled between you and the Killing Curse will protect you only that one time by taking the curse. Only an intentional sacrifice will protect you forever, well, at least according to that tome.”

It took Kíli a while to digest the information. Even though Dwalin kept stressing that the theory had no credible source of evidence, Kíli could feel that it was true. Somehow it made sense to him. It must have shown on his face, for Dwalin added hastily, “Yeh promised me not to use it under any circumstances!”

“I never said anything,” Kíli said slyly. When he saw the stricken look on Dwalin’s face, he added in a serious tone, “I promise that I won’t throw myself in front of just anyone. But do you honestly expect me to stand back and watch those I love die? I’ll throw myself in front of Fíli, Professor Thorin, and you, protective spell or not. I just have to. I don’t think I’ll even be able to control myself when it really comes to that.”

“I…”

“And you’d do the say for me, wouldn’t you, sir? You’d do the same for Professor Thorin and Professor Balin! Because you love us. You’d do anything for those you love.”

Dwalin opened his mouth but no retort came out. After a long searching look, which Kíli held firmly, he finally sighed in resignation. “I reckon yeh are right, laddie. I only hope that yeh will never find yerself in that situation.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the exam week finally came, Kíli was almost relieved. Not that he was looking forward to the exams, per se. But he was eagerly waiting for the summer holidays when he would turn 17, an important age since he would become a legal adult in the Wizarding World. This was also going to be the first summer that he would spend away from the orphanage.

“I’ve talked to uncle about this and we both agree,” Fíli said during dinner the weekend before the exam week, “you should spend the summer in Erebor. It is too dangerous for you to go back to the Muggle orphanage when you are a top target on the Death Eaters’ list.”

Kíli sighed. His former self might have argued the point both because of his pride and because he was reluctant to impose himself on Fíli’s family for such a long period of time. After the attack on the orphanage, however, he had to agree with Fíli. His mere presence endangered his Muggle friends. He could not do that to them, not again. “Yeah, I think I have to stay away from the orphanage. But are you sure it’s not an imposition for me to stay in Erebor for two whole months? I can always stay in Hogwarts.”

“Please, Kíli! Of course it’s not an imposition! Mum loves having you there.”

“I know, but that means extra security measures in Erebor, which can’t be pleasant.”

“Actually, it’s not. Because uncle is planning to increase security once I go home anyway. Having you there would make it easier because otherwise, they have to watch over Hogwarts too, which is even more work. Besides,” Fíli’s face turned slightly pink, “I want to spend the summer with you. This year has been so busy that I barely get to… I miss you!”

That sealed the matter for Kíli. He could never say no to Fíli, especially since Fíli had always been so understanding and never asked anything of him. And Fíli was right. They barely got to see each other outside of class recently. Just the thought of a long relaxing summer holiday spent mostly in Fíli’s company made Kíli want to pack his trunk and hop onto the Hogwarts Express right away.

The exam week was, thankfully, less stressful than their O.W.L. exam weeks. Even though Kíli knew it would not last, for they had N.E.W.T.s coming next year, he was grateful for the reprieve. The fact that he was taking fewer classes helped. As much as he grew to love his extra Potion lessons, he had to admit that it was more for Thorin’s company than the course material itself. He was, therefore, thoroughly glad that he did not have to sit through two 4-hour-long exams, done in two days, to brew Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. 

“I can’t feel my back!” Fíli complained after their first day of brewing. “Why can’t uncle pick a Potion that doesn’t require so many ingredients to chop?”

“I know! My arms are killing me!” Even someone as perpetually optimistic and cheerful as Ori had his limits. “This is the first time ever in my life when I wish I’ve played Quidditch.”

“Well, at least you didn’t get accidentally drenched in an only half-baked love potion.” Gimli, who had finally decided to grace them with his presence after more than a month in the Slytherin table, smirked.

“What happened?” Kíli’s curiosity was piqued. Maybe he did regret missing the Potions final, or at least the one that required no brewing on his part.

Fíli half sighed half laughed. “Thorin Stonehelm-Ironfoot. We had to put our potions in the incubation cabinet for it to set for 24 hours before we finish the potion tomorrow. He tripped and knocked his cauldron over when he was walking to the cabinet. Poor Justin! He got it all on his back.”

“Bloody hell!” Kíli gasped. “Is Justin alright?”

“Depends on your definition of alright,” Gimli sniggered. “Because the potion is not complete, the effect is, well, interesting. Right now Justin had to be restrained because he alternates between trying to kiss and strangle Thorin Stonehelm-Ironfoot, in 10-minute intervals.”

“You seem to be in a good mood.” Fíli eyed Gimli suspiciously. “Something has happened. Out with it!”

Putting his elbow on the table and leaning on it, Gimli smirked like a cat who had just stolen a whole jar of cream. “Now that you’ve mentioned it, yes. Legolas went to St Mungo’s last night. Since Thranduil’s condition is pretty much stable, Legolas has finally told him about us.”

Everybody gasped. Ori was so shocked that he dropped his spoonful of curry directly on his lap. He paid it no heed though. “What did Lord Thranduil say?”

Unless Thranduil’s response was so traumatic that Gimli officially lost his mind - or Thranduil was so incensed that he somehow managed to curse Gimli remotely, which, come to think of it, Kíli would not put past Thranduil - the answer was pretty obvious, Kíli thought.

“He said nothing!” Unable to keep his cool facade any longer, Gimli slammed his fist on the table. “Can you believe it? He said that as long as Legolas is happy, he doesn’t care! I mean, Thranduil the Bastard is much more open-minded than my own dad! What kind of world do we live in?”

“The world where you must learn to refrain from calling your boyfriend's father Thranduil the Bastard,” said Fíli coolly but the smile on his face said it all. “I’m so happy for you, Gimli! You both deserve it!”

“Thanks, mate! I…” Unless Kíli was very much mistaken, Gimli’s eyes were glistening. Coughing awkwardly, he blinked hard and looked away from the table.

“That calls for a celebration!” Kíli said loudly, trying his best to save his friend from the embarrassment. “Too bad we don’t have Firewhiskey! And to think that soon we’ll all be adults and can drink all the Firewhiskey that we want!”

“Good to see that you have such lofty ambitions!” Fíli laughed. “Don’t worry. We have quite an impressive collection in Erebor. You can drink to your heart’s content on your birthday next month!”

Gimli laughed. “I’d take that over an old silly watch any day. The Erebor hoard is legendary! I don’t even use a watch. But of course, my father would never stray from tradition. Now all I’ve got is a gaudy gold watch that I don’t use.” He stopped to ponder the matter. “Maybe I can sell it if I ever run out of money.”

The very idea, it seemed, was appalling to Ori. “Don’t say that, Gim! This is the last present your father gave you. You ought to cherish it like your most prized possession!”

Gimli rolled his eyes goodnaturedly but did not argue. Kíli, however, had his question. “Why a watch?”

“It’s a Wizarding tradition to give a wizard a watch on his 17th birthday when he comes of age,” Fíli explained. “I’m honestly not sure why. You can probably ask Professor Balin. He knows about almost everything in Wizarding tradition and history.”

Kíli could not help but wonder if he would get a present like that. Part of him tried to convince himself that it was not that important. He grew up in a Muggle orphanage after all so he did not spend the first 16 years of his life expecting one. The other part of him was, however, anxious to get one so that he could be part of the new world that was to be his home for the rest of his life. But who was to give it to him? He could not possibly accept something as expensive as a golden watch from Fíli’s family! Them willing to take him in for the entire summer and celebrating his birthday with him was more than enough.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once the exams were over, all the 6th-years tried their best to make full use of their free time. Granted, the options were limited, with tightened security and the still ongoing O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams. It did not stop them from trying though. Almost no one turned up at breakfast on Saturday morning because the drinking and the games went well into the early hours of the morning. Kíli was no exception. He knew that soon enough, Fíli and the rest of the 6th-year Prefects would take on all the patrol duties from their 5th and 7th-year colleagues. Wasting no time, he joined Fíli and Ori in the Ravenclaw Tower when the celebrations began.

“To another year in Hogwarts done!” said Bain, who was red in the face and swaying dangerously on the spot. Kíli wondered if he even realised that he was in fact not in the Hufflepuff Common Room. He could see Sigrid hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment. Standing next to Bain was an equally tipsy Justin, who was thankfully neither snogging nor strangling anyone, much to the relief of Thorin Stonehelm-Ironfoot and the disappointment of everyone else. “We’ve only got one year left so let’s get totally and utterly pissed!”

The party was quite mild in comparison. Since the 5th and 7th-years still needed their sleep for their exams next week, Elrond had prohibited any loud music. Perhaps to make up for the lack of music, he did relent on the alcohol front and ordered copious amounts of butterbeer from Hogsmeade since no students were allowed to go anymore. Kíli soon spotted several rebellious 5th and 7th-year Ravenclaws joining the drinking party, along with…

“Sam! Frodo!”

“Hi, Cap! Hello, Fíli!” Sam’s beaming smile never failed to lift Kíli’s mood. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Same to you!” Kíli laughed. “I certainly didn’t expect that. How come you ditched Gryffindor?”

“Bain told us about the party,” Frodo said with a shy smile. “In Gryffindor, well, nobody dared to ask Lady Galadriel to, to…”

That made sense. Kíli could not imagine walking up to Lady Galadriel to ask her to smuggle some butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks. It just did not work like that. “I see. Here,” he waved his wand wordlessly, much to the amazement of Sam and Frodo, and two mugs of butterbeer floated in the air over the crowd towards them. “Your first butterbeer.”

“Show off,” Fíli muttered but with a smile on his face. Kíli smirked while Sam and Frodo held the mug reverently before taking a tentative sip. Smacking his lips in appreciation, Sam gulped down the rest of the butterbeer in one go and belched loudly.

“You’re such a bad influence.” Fíli laughed.

“I swear he did not learn the belching from me!” Kíli held up his hand in mock innocence. “That’s Gimli through and through.”

Halfway through the party, when everyone was in various states of inebriation, Fíli grabbed Kíli’s hand and whispered in his ears. “Do you want to go somewhere more private?”

Thinking that Fíli meant his room, Kíli nodded, swaying slightly. Instead of going upstairs, however, Fíli led him out of the Ravenclaw Common Room.

“Where are we going?” Even in his drunken state, Kíli knew that they were not supposed to do this. “Is, isn’t it past curfew?”

“We’ve still got 15 minutes to spare.” Fíli smiled mischievously. “Enough time for us to get to the Room of Requirements.”

Kíli could feel his pulse quicken. Unless he was very much mistaken, there could only be one reason for Fíli to abandon the safety of the Ravenclaw Common Room and risk breaking school rules. He could not say that he blamed him. They barely had time to share a kiss, let alone some quality alone time recently.

Once they were inside the Room of Requirements, Kíli knew that he had guessed right. The four-poster bed, which was covered in silky sky blue sheets, was wide enough to fit the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team. On the bedside table, Kíli could see candle lights flickering, casting shadows in the room. Opposite the bed was a table, laden with food and a bottle of champagne chilled in a bucket of ice.

“I thought we’d celebrate the end of exams in private,” Fíli said, his face slightly pink, “with food and some proper adult drinks.”

Kíli grinned. Taking Fíli by the hand, he closed the distance between them and said in a low whisper, “Did you? Or do you just want to get me on my own?”

Fíli’s reaction was certainly not the one that he was expecting. Instead of being seduced, which was what Kíli, or anyone in that situation, was aiming for, Fíli burst out laughing. Kíli, therefore, felt completely justified in asking, “What the actual f**k?”

“Sorry!” Fíli still could not stop grinning but at least he sounded genuine. “It’s just, you know, you trying to be, well…”

“Oh, bugger!” Kíli threw himself on the soft four-poster bed and sighed. What did he expect? He was no Sean Connery! He could not charm people like James Bond did. “I suppose it never hurts to try.”

Fíli climbed onto the four-poster bed and propped himself up on his elbows. “Sorry, love. But I don’t think seduction is really your thing. You know what though, you don’t even need it!” With that, he lowered himself down and kissed Kíli fully on the mouth.

It never fails to amaze Kíli that no matter how many times he had kissed Fíli, the sensation always overwhelmed him. The warmth radiating from Fíli’s body and the smell that was so uniquely Fíli was enough to short circuit his brain every single time. This time, however, the brain dead state lasted shorter than usual. Before Kíli knew it, he could feel his mind functioning again, in the most horrible way possible. His thoughts were drifting, for reasons unknown to himself, towards Thorin.

“Is everything alright?” Fíli’s question nearly made Kíli jump. Looking up, he could see the confused and slightly hurt look on Fíli’s face. Kicking himself mentally, Kíli shook his head so violently that he was sure he would get a concussion soon. “No, no. Just a bit distracted, you know, all that butterbeer and, er, everything else that’s been going on. You know what it’s like!” He finished feebly.

Fíli frowned. The look he gave Kíli was so piercing and searching that Kíli could feel his insides shrinking in shame. What on earth was wrong with him? After such a long and gruelling term when they had no time together, he had to cock up their very first private moment! “I’m sorry, Fíli! I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I do appreciate everything you’ve done, this room, everything! It’s amazing! It’s beyond amazing! I’m just…” his voice trailed off because he did not know how to continue. Was he really going to tell Fíli that his thoughts wandered to Fíli’s uncle when he was snogging him?

“I see. Well,” Fíli sighed, “I suppose we can always just tuck in early and…”

“No! I mean, yes! But not really.” Kíli wanted to kick himself. “What I mean is,” he said slowly so he could organise his thoughts, “I do want to get in bed and not do anything. But can we just, well, stay in bed for a while before we go to sleep. I just want to lie in bed next to you.”

This finally brought a smile to Fíli’s face. “Of course. Well, as long as you don’t mind me reading a book.”

Kíli laughed. Of course, Fíli would be reading a book! “Please tell me you’re not reading next year’s textbook! Actually,” an idea suddenly struck him, “why don’t we read something fun together?”

This turned out to be a great idea. After settling themselves comfortably on the four-poster bed - Kíli had his head on Fíli’s shoulder - they picked a book that was supposed to be a light read. The first book failed catastrophically. Even though it was intended as an adventure story rather than a comedy, Kíli could not help sniggering during  _ Break with a Banshee _ , a bestselling book by Gilderoy Lockhart, especially when said author mentioned his hair.

“He sounds worse than the old Legolas! You know what? He sounds like a Lindir-version of Legolas who actually believes all the rubbish that he’s saying!”

As much as he tried to fight it, Fíli had to concede that Kíli had a very valid point. The next book they picked turned out to be quite entertaining.  _ Hélas, Je me suis Transfiguré Les Pieds _ , a play written by the French wizard Malecrit, was set in the early 1400s. While it could not be called particularly well-written, it was fun and even included the history of early Quidditch. Fíli’s performance, on the other hand, made it 100 times more enjoyable. His voice lowered to a whisper in the scene leading up to the main event and then rose suddenly during the climactic scene, when the main character, Crapaud, attempted a highly complicated foot transformation. He even did different voices and accents for different characters. Kíli was so engrossed in the story that he did not realise he was cradling Fíli’s arm in his chest until it was over.

“Do you want another one?” Fíli took a sip of the champagne and asked in a low voice. Even though he tried to hide it, Kíli could hear the exhaustion in Fíli’s slightly hoarse voice, which filled Kíli’s heart with warmth.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s just lie down.”

And that was what they did, lying down on the bed next to each other, heads touching and fingers entwined. Kíli could hear Fíli’s steady breathing, which was the most soothing sound in the world. This was the moment he always craved for, a moment to just be with the one he loves.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparition practice in Hogsmeade. What could go wrong?

What was unusual about the 6th year was that even after their final exams were over, they could not fully relax because they had still got one last task, the Apparition Test. The first test, for those who would be 17 years or older, would be held 10 days before the End-of-Term feast. For people like Kíli, who would not come of age until the summer holidays, they could take another test at the end of August. Still, everyone was expected to fully master the skill so come August, they would be ready.

“Is Apparition practice always this boring?” Kíli could not help but whine after he reappeared outside the hoop, again, during one of their practice lessons. “I mean, how am I supposed to get inside the goddamned loop when I don’t even want to to start with!”

Fíli smiled sympathetically. His Apparition was, of course, perfect. “I know it’s a tad underwhelming. Usually, they would have progressed to practical exercise by this point.”

“What do you mean, practical?”

“When you first start, they want to control the situation and provide immediate help in case something happens. That’s why they always choose a contained space like the Great Hall. Once we get better at Apparition and are just fine-tuning the skills, we’re supposed to practice in the real world, outside of Hogwarts. The most obvious choice is, of course, Hogsmeade.”

“And we can’t do that this year because of those bloody Death Eaters!” Kíli finished Fíli’s sentences. “Bloody hell! How are we supposed to learn to use Apparition in the real world if we don’t even practice?!”

After casting a careful look around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping, Fíli said in a low voice, “I think we are going to Hogsmeade this weekend to practice.”

“You’re joking!”

“Shhhhhh!” Fíli hissed aggressively. “Not so loud! I don’t know for certain yet!”

“Sorry!” Kíli whispered back. It was hard to contain his excitement. “But seriously, Hogsmeade?! That’s bloody brilliant!”

Fíli smiled. “I know! Trust me, you’re not the only one bored by those hoops and the three Ds. Both uncle and Professor Dwalin are for it. But Gandalf is still worried about the security.”

Even though there had been no Death Eater activities since the attack on the Greenleaf Manor, the wizarding world was still on high alert. The atrocities from the Last Wizarding War were still vivid in the public’s memory that almost everyone was convinced that the Death Eaters were just biding their time. The security on Hogwarts was thus still stringent.

“I’m sure one day can’t hurt,” Kíli said, hoping that he was right. “There will be tons of Aurors in Hogsmeade. Besides, we all know how to Apparate. Well, more or less. But we can get away if we need to. We’ll be fine.”

When the news that an extra Apparition practice would be held that weekend in Hogsmeade for every student in the 6th-year was announced during breakfast on Thursday, the whole school erupted into excited discussions. Kíli knew, of course, thanks to Fíli. But most of his classmates could not believe their ears.

“They must be close to catching the Death Eaters.” Kíli heard Bard telling Tilda loudly at the Hufflepuff table. “They wouldn’t risk our security otherwise.”

“This is bloody brilliant!” Kíli nearly jumped when he heard Gimli's loud voice. Turning around, he was astonished to see Gimli and Legolas standing behind them. Legolas was never near the Gryffindor table. “About time too! Reckon there’s any chance they’d squeeze in the final Quidditch matches before the end of the term?”

“Er…”

“Oh, honestly, Kíli!” Gimli rolled his eyes. “It’s just me and Legolas. Come on, budge up.”

Once Legolas and Gimli had settled themselves at the Gryffindor table, Gimli lost no time in going into all his theories and speculations about the Death Eaters and the extra practice. Kíli, however, was more interested in observing Legolas.

The slender Elf looked slightly paler than usual. Kíli wondered if it was due to all the anxiety that he must have felt during the months of his father’s injury or just the early hours of the day. His magic, however, felt both content and peaceful. His eyes, which was fixed on Gimli, were much brighter than usual, as he watched Gimli talk with a warm smile on his face, an expression Kíli was not aware Legolas was capable of. Even though they were not holding hands, Kíli could spot Legolas’s leg brushing up against Gimli’s. In fact, they were almost fused into one when Legolas leaned in towards Gimli, their shoulders touching. If someone had told Kíli a year ago that he would live to see the day when Legolas Greenleaf being madly in love with Gimli, he would have recommended a mental asylum for that person. Now, however, it looked like the most natural thing in the world.

When Gimli was finally done with his lecture, he turned around and caught Legolas’s eyes. His face turning pink instantaneously under Legolas’s intense gaze, Gimli stuttered, “So, er, what do you think?” 

Fighting the urge to facepalm, Kíli was at least grateful that Gimli was sensible enough not to use a nickname for Legolas. He was not sure if he would puke or burst out laughing if Gimli started calling Legolas ‘Leg’. Idiots in love are hopeless, Kíli thought with amusement, Fíli and I were never that bad.

“I personally don’t think it’s wise to do this,” Legolas said with a slight frown. “Of course, I hope that nothing is going to happen. But it’s too much of a risk. I wish Gandalf could reconsider.”

The favourable impression Legolas had just left on Kíli was quickly disappearing. Not only was he trying to get them stuck in the castle, but he also spoke ill of a plan Thorin and Dwalin proposed. Kíli felt the need to defend his professors on principle. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. We’ll have loads of people protecting us, the professors and the Aurors. There are only 8 of them. We will give them a good kicking if they ever dare to show their ugly faces. But if we don’t do this, we’ll never get the practical experience we need. Besides, the test will take place in Hogsmeade so we have to go there anyway. We can’t stop taking such an important test because of some wretched Death Eaters!”

Kíli fully expected Legolas to retort back, perhaps not so nicely. He was, therefore, surprised when Legolas merely frowned in concentration before saying, “I suppose you have a point. We do need to learn to Apparate and pass the test. I just hope that our security will be enough.”

Now feeling slightly sheepish about his overreaction, Kíli said quickly, “I’m sure it will. Don’t worry. Hogwarts professors are the best! We’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kíli woke up on Saturday morning, with Fíli next to him on his four-poster bed, he could feel a sense of dread slowly creeping up from the pit of his stomach. By the time they were at the Great Hall for breakfast, he was so nervous that he could hardly swallow. The cause of that, however, was a complete mystery to him.

“It’s probably just nerves,” Fíli said bracingly. “It’s going to be fine, trust me. Your Apparition is loads better than before.”

“Yeah…” Kíli was not so convinced, even though this sounded like the most rational explanation. Somehow he knew that Apparition, despite its risks of splinching, was not enough to unnerve him so. “Have you got the Daily Prophet?”

“Here,” Fíli unfolded the newspaper and handed it over to Kíli, “there’s nothing here. The front page is about the cheating scandal of the Weird Sisters’ lead singer. It’s got a nice picture of the girl involved. Oh my, would you look at that! She looks positively scandalous in that dress! Way to rock the Muggle fashion, girl!”

Kíli could not help but smile at Fíli’s valiant attempt to lighten his mood. Even though it did not really work, he truly appreciated the sentiment. He was, however, relieved to find that the escaped Death Eaters had not committed any atrocities, which could have explained his sense of doom. “I see. Do you know who’s coming to Hogsmeade today?”

“All the Heads of House will be there. Professor Dwalin and Professor Gloín. Mister Oín too, of course. I heard that Aragorn will be here as well. Probably loads of Aurors.”

“What about Professor Gandalf?” Ori joined the conversation. “Won’t he go with us?”

“I don’t think so,” said Fíli. “Someone’s got to stay in the castle in case the Death Eaters use this opportunity to infiltrate the castle. With all four Heads of House, Professor Gloín and Professor Dwalin, not to mention the Aurors, we will be absolutely fine.”

It was indeed reassuring to see Lady Galadriel, Elrond, Thorin, Bilbo, Dwalin and Gloín standing at the front door, all with their wands out. Kíli could feel his fluttering heart settle at the sight of Thorin’s broad chest and determined face. He even managed a smile, which Thorin returned.

“Right, lads and lasses,” Dwalin said once everyone had gathered around at the entrance to the Great Hall, ready to head out. “We’ll meet our Auror escort team outside of Hogwarts. They will walk with us to Hogsmeade. Once we’re in Hogsmeade, stay close to the team until yeh get to the Apparition spot. Yeh will be divided into groups. Each group will be assigned one professor and one Auror. No Apparating on yer own, no matter how tempting that might seem. Yeh will take turns so that only one person in the group will Apparate with the professor while the Auror can stay with the group. Don’t do anything stupid and yeh’d be alright. Any questions?”

Legolas raised a hand. Dwalin nodded and Legolas asked the question that was perhaps on everyone’s mind. “What do we do if something goes wrong?”

“If you have an accident in Apparition, Mister Oín will be there to remedy that,” Thorin said in his baritone voice, which felt like a balm to Kíli’s nerves. “For anything else, report to your group immediately. The professor and Auror of your group will give you the next steps. Do not attempt anything on your own. Understood?”

All the students nodded and they set off towards the wizarding village. They were soon joined by the Aurors at the gate, Aragorn amongst them. Kíli beamed at his former Head Boy, who smiled back and walked towards them.

“Hi, Kíli, Fíli, Ori!” Aragorn patted Kíli on the back. “Ready for the practice?”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Kíli said with the confidence he did not feel. “At least it’s not the test and it’s got to beat Apparating into hoops, doesn’t it?”

“No nerves?”

“Not really. Well, not about Apparition anyway,” Kíli admitted quietly. Somehow he could never lie to Aragorn.

His former Head Boy nodded sagely. “I understand what you mean. It’s not easy, venturing out of the safety of the school during this time.” After looking around carefully, he bent down slightly and said in a low voice. “I’m not supposed to say this because it’s a Ministry secret. But Bellatrix Lestrange was spotted in Aberdeen last night. She managed to get away before we could capture her. But the rumour is that they’re plotting to free more Death Eaters from Azkaban.”

This did assuage Kíli’s sense of panic. If the escaped Death Eaters were planning something else, surely that meant that they would be safe. Perhaps they knew that it would be fruitless to try to attack the students with such heavy protection and had thus decided to exploit the weakened security elsewhere.

Once they were in the city centre of Hogsmeade, which was surprisingly empty for a Saturday morning as most of the stores were closed, Dwalin divided them into groups of three and four. Kíli was grouped with Fíli and Ori. His group turned out to be the smallest so Kíli could not help but wonder if that was because of his and Fíli’s status as Azog’s top target. Gimli and Legolas, on the other hand, were stuck with Bolg and another Slytherin girl. Kíli never understood why Bolg even went on this trip. His magical power was still non-existent so his only chance of getting into the hoop was a long jump. He had no idea what Bolg was hoping to achieve here in Hogsmeade.

“Come with me.” Thorin beckoned their group over. Kíli was relieved to find that Aragorn was their assigned Auror. “We will get further from the centre, away from the crowd and mess, once we’re…”

His words were cut out by loud popping noises of Apparition. Kíli whipped his head around and his heart sank. Dark tall figures shrouded in black hooded robes appeared out of thin air. They were impossible to identify because every single one of them was wearing a mask made of dark and shiny metal. The only parts of their face that Kíli could see were their eyes, through the menacing holes in the masks. The slit nostrils and the metal teeth, combined with the engraved skulls and daggers on the cheeks all attributed to the terrifying effect. Even though Kíli had never seen these skull-like masks before, it did not take a genius to guess who these intruders were.

“Death Eaters!” Dwalin’s loud bellowing voice confirmed Kíli’s worst fear. “Everyone back to their group and Disapparate back to the castle!”

This was, however, impossible. Kíli could feel Fíli’s hand in his own as Fíli attempted to Disapparate. Instead of the tight squeeze that he came to expect from Disapparition, all Kíli could feel was a brick wall, as if the air had turned solid. The Death Eaters had done their homework. They must have put some Anti-Apparition spell. 

After that, all hells broke loose. Loud banging noises of the spells almost masked the screaming of the students. Kíli could barely make out anything from the smoke and the rising dust from collapsing buildings nearby, hit by stray spells. Every now and then, he could spot running students and duelling professors and Aurors with the Death Eaters. A green jet of light roared towards him, forcing him to duck at the last minute, escaping death by mere millimetres.

“Fíli, Kíli, stay close to Aragorn and run!” Thorin bellowed at Kíli but Kíli paid it no heed. He just saw a Death Eater emerging from the dust and smoke, his wand raised and ready to cast the spell at Thorin.

“Protego!” Kíli cried out as he waved his wand. To his great relief, his Shield Charm worked as the Death Eater’s spell bounced off it, sparing Thorin in the process.

“Thanks,” said Thorin quickly. With a flick of his wand, he managed to send the Death Eater flying through the air before collapsing into a heap on the ground. “But you must go.”

“No! I want to stay and fight!”

“Kíli…” Thorin’s admonition was cut short when another Death Eater charged towards them. The curse he cast was so powerful that Kíli could feel the hair on his arms stand in fright. It cut through Thorin’s Shield Charm like a knife through butter. Kíli gasped but Thorin managed to levitate a large block of rock, possibly from one of the collapsed buildings, to intercept the spell. Watching with his mouth open, Kíli was knocked to the ground by Fíli, his hands over Kíli’s head. When Kíli finally managed to get up again, he could see beads of blood from the cuts on Fíli’s face caused by the explosion of the rock. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t mention it,” Fíli panted and grabbed Kíli’s hand. “Come on! Let’s…”

The screaming drowned Fíli’s voice. It was so terrible that Kíli did not even recognise it at first. When it started again, Kíli realised with absolute horror that it was from Aragorn.

Writhing on the ground, his wand a good 2 metres away from him, Aragorn’s handsome face was contorted with agony. Standing above his struggling figure was…

“Azog!” Kíli could feel his blood boil. The Death Eater had lost his hideous mask so his ugly face was partially visible under the hood. It was equally contorted, but with sadistic glee instead.

“Kíli, no!”

But Kíli had to step up. Thorin was fighting fiercely with another Death Eater, whose loud cackling laugh betrayed her identity. There was no chance that his Potions Master could take on both Bellatrix Lestrange and Azog. Kíli was the only one Aragorn had got.

“Stupefy!”

Kíli’s stunning spell missed Azog by inches. It did succeed in getting the Death Eater’s attention though, as he whipped around. When his eyes fell on Kíli, an ecstatic smile crept up his ugly face.

“Well, well, well. I was wondering how I can find you, Durin. It seems that you’ve decided to save me the trouble by handing yourself over. How very considerate of you.”

“You f**king bastard!” Kíli snarled. “I’m not here to surrender. I’m here to kill you!”

Azog threw his head back and laughed, a mistake because Kíli wasted no time in hurling another Stunning Spell at Azog. He only avoided being hit by a hastily conjured Shield Charm, which blocked the majority of the Stunning Spell but did leave him staggering a couple of steps backwards. That wiped the smirk from his face. “You’ve learnt, I see. Daddy been teaching you? Except, oops, I forgot. Daddy’s dead and can teach no one.”

Kíli’s eyes saw red. How dare him, the murderer of his family, mention his father? “You disgusting son of a bi…”

“Ah, what an appropriate name for yourself. Because you know what, your mother is a proper whore. Do you know how much she begged in the end? You almost can’t tell if she’s begging for it to end or just begging for more of our c…”

“Crucio!”

The spell hit Azog, sending him to his knees. It did not, however, have the same effect as Azog’s curse, for Azog was back on his feet seconds later, his face scrunched up in a pained grimace but otherwise fine. “Cruciatus curse, eh? I didn’t know you had the balls for it. But your rage does nothing to me. It's about causing pain and enjoying it. You have to really mean it. Want a lesson? Crucio!”

Anticipating such an attack, Kíli rolled to the side, dodging the curse like he had done countless times in the Quidditch Pitch. Azog, however, was no simple Bludger. His next curse followed so quickly that Kíli felt it graze his face like a hot bullet. Scrambling to his feet, Kíli ignored his bleeding face and cried “Protego”. The Shield worked. But the force of Azog’s curse was so strong that Kíli felt it smash onto his Shield like a bomb. Try as he might, Kíli could not hold the position as he staggered backwards. Unfortunately, a still twitching Aragorn was right behind him. Kíli’s retreating feet hit Aragorn and he stumbled, falling squarely on Aragorn, who promptly passed out.

“Damn!” Kíli cursed but it was too late. His Shield had dropped during this momentary lapse of attention. By the time he saw Azog’s curse, it was too late.

“Petrificus Totalus!”

Kíli watched in slow motion as Fíli’s spell hit Azog’s curse, deflecting it and thus saving Kíli’s life. Before he could say a thank you to Fíli, however, he felt, or rather Sensed a force of magic shooting towards him. Rolling off Aragorn in the other direction, Kíli scrambled to turn around, only to find Antonin Dolohov’s smirking face in front of him. His wand still pointed at Kíli, Dolohov mouthed another curse.

His Shield was simply not strong enough. Dolohov’s curse punched through it as if it were made of water. The curse hit Kíli square in the chest, sending him flying backwards for God knows how long until his back collided with something solid. Crumpling to the ground, Kíli was so winded and in pain that he could not even groan.

His eyes blurry and unfocused from the impact and pain, Kíli was practically blind for a good 5 minutes. When he had finally caught his breath and opened his eyes again, the sight in front of him made his heart stop. Fíli, who was standing in front of an unconscious Aragorn, was battling Azog in earnest. Jets of lights shot from Azog’s wand tip. Fíli only dodged them narrowly. It did not take a duelling expert to know that Fíli was hanging by a thread. Even though he looked unharmed apart from his dishevelled hair and the small cuts on his face, Kíli could tell that he could only just fend off Azog’s attacks, which were all aimed to kill. The only reason why Fíli was still standing was that Dolohov had moved on to some other fights, clearly under the impression that he had finished Kíli off.

As much as Kíli tried, standing up was an impossible feat because he could feel nothing in his legs. A sudden fear rose in his chest. Did he break his back? Will he be paralysed for the rest of his life? He had no time to dwell on the thought, however. Fíli was in so much trouble that his legs had to wait. Taking a deep breath, Kíli did the only thing he could think of. He started crawling towards Fíli and Azog. 

To his surprise and relief, neither of them noticed him, probably because they were both so preoccupied, Azog with killing and Fíli with surviving. Once Azog was within range, Kíli stopped and panted. He then raised his wand and said loudly and clearly, “Stupefy!”

How Azog could have dodged that spell at the very last minute was a complete mystery to Kíli. He was so certain that it would have worked and was thus thoroughly unprepared when Azog turned to him, mad with rage, and raised his wand. “Avada Kedavra!”

The jet of green light shot towards him with such speed and accuracy that Kíli knew he had no chance of surviving in his current state. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Fíli throwing himself to the course of the light in an attempt to take the spell for Kíli. He was grateful that Fíli had missed. He would rather die himself than let Fíli die for him. When the light finally hit him, Kíli felt almost peaceful. His only regret was not finishing Azog off but at least he tried.

If someone had asked Kíli what death would look like before, his answer certainly would not be a ball of blue fire exploding in front of his chest. That was, however, exactly what happened when Azog’s Killing Curse hit him. Kíli felt almost no impact himself. What was even more astonishing was that the green light actually bounced off the blue fire and shot backwards towards…

“Sweet Mahal…” Fíli’s awed cry echoed Kíli’s sentiment, as they both watched Azog crumble down, dead before his body even hit the ground, killed by his own Killing Curse.

“What… How?” Kíli could not understand it. His next question was cut off by Fíli’s scream. Turning his head around, a difficult feat in his prone position, Kíli felt his heart stop as Thorin collapsed to the ground too. Was he hit by a spell? But Bellatrix Lestrange was unconscious next to him. The Death Eater in front of him, a weedy looking wizard, looked equally shocked by Thorin’s sudden collapse. He soon paid for his short lapse of attention, as he was hit in the back by Dwalin and fell face forward to the ground, only narrowly missing Thorin.

Around them, the battle was winding down. The Hogwarts professors and Aurors were winning, thanks to their superior number. Unfortunately, it was not without casualties. Kíli could see bodies strewn on the ground, from friend or foe he could not tell. Oín was running frantically from one to the other, trying his best to save as many as he could. Most of the students were huddled together, either crying hysterically or frozen on the spot. Some were limping, fleeing from the fight. Some of them were still fighting. Legolas’s tall and slender figure next to Gimli’s stout one formed quite a picture as they duelled Antonin Dolohov, together with Gloín. Even though they outnumbered the Death Eater 3 to 1, Dolohov was holding his ground remarkably well. Spells flew from his wand in all directions, forcing all three of them to duck and dodge. The balance was only tipped when Bilbo joined in the fight, as he had finished off his opponent with a powerful spell that took Kíli by surprise. He did not know that his Herbology professor’s duelling skills had improved exponentially. This was the only fight that was still ongoing so even Dolohov knew it was time to acknowledge defeat. With a wave of his wand, the sense of solid wall around them vanished. Before anyone could do anything, Dolohov disappeared into the thin air after a loud pop.

“Kíli!” Fíli’s panicked voice drew Kíli’s attention. Looking up with some difficulty, he could see Fíli kneeling down, his trembling hands touching Kíli’s back as if he could not believe what had just happened. His face was blotchy and his hair was covered in dust. His robes were completely ruined but he looked otherwise unharmed. “Oh, Kíli!”

Forcing a smile he did not feel, Kíli said in an airy tone, “It’s just a little break, nothing serious. I’m sure Mister Oín can fix it in no time. What about Professor Thorin? Is he okay?”

He could see the battle inside Fíli’s head as he was torn between concern for Kíli and his uncle. Thankfully, Aragorn had dragged himself up. He still looked deathly pale and Kíli could spot the involuntary twitch of his hands, an after effect of the Cruciatus curse. When he spoke, however, his voice sounded like its usual calm self, albeit a bit hoarse. “Why don’t you go to your uncle, Fíli? I will look after Kíli until Mister Oín is here. I know some basic first aid from my Auror training.”

This finally settled the matter for Fíli. He bent down to kiss Kíli quickly on the lips, gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving to find out what happened to Thorin.

“Okay,” Aragorn sat down next to Kíli, “let’s run some diagnostic spells on you. Try not to move, please. Back injuries can be serious, even with the healing magic.”

The next 5 minutes were probably the longest in Kíli’s life. Despite his many injuries in Quidditch, he was still new to this experience of waiting to hear the verdict of his fate, for he was usually out cold in the past. The idea that he might be paralysed from the waist down felt like an icy dagger to his heart. He was not even 17. He had got his whole life in front of him. He simply could not imagine living it with the function of only half his body.

“Hmm,” Aragorn finally finished his spells after 5 agonising minutes, “I cannot say for certain but I don’t think it’s something we can’t fix. We need to get Mister Oín quickly though. I don’t want to risk it with your back.”

Unfortunately, with so many injuries, Oín was too preoccupied to worry about Kíli. Kíli could see Aragorn gesticulating wildly to Oín but the Healer stood firm. He showed no sign of moving away from Thorin, his current patient. Frankly, Kíli did not blame him. If he had the choice, he would have asked Oín to look after Thorin first too. He did not want his Potions professor hurt.

Just when Aragorn was about to give up, Thorin stirred and tried to sit up from the ground. Instinctively, Kíli tried to crawl towards Thorin. He was awake! He wanted to know how Thorin was doing. Oín, on the other hand, looked shocked by Thorin’s actions. Pushing Thorin firmly back to the ground, he frowned when Thorin spoke. Even though Kíli was too far away to hear what they were talking about, he could tell that Oín did not like the conversation one bit. Thorin, however, looked insistent. His face was so colourless that it looked almost translucent. While it might look good on an Elf, on Thorin it looked positively alarming. What was worse, Kíli could see traces of blood around the corner of Thorin’s lips. His heart sank. How bad was that spell?

After a heated argument, Oín finally threw his hands in the air and got up. Kíli, however, did not expect him to walk towards him.

“Stubborn, stupid git!” Oín muttered as he finally stopped in front of Kíli. Puffing heavily, he knelt down and took his wand out. “It will get him killed one day!”

“What’s going on?” Kíli cried. “Why aren’t you looking after Professor Thorin, sir?”

This only seemed to aggravate Oín. “You better ask him that question, laddie! He’s the one who’s hanging on to life by a thread yet asked me to attend to you first. If I wasn’t concerned that any more damage to him would finish him off, I would have knocked him out and treated him nonetheless.”

Kíli stared. Thorin was sacrificing his own life so Kíli could walk? “You must go back to him, sir! I’ll be fine. Professor Thorin is much more important!”

Oín sighed, “Don’t be daft, laddie. You’re equally important. Besides, he’ll just send me back to you. Dwalin has put a Stasis Charm on him so he should be fine for an hour or so. Now shut up and let me do my work. The sooner I can finish with you, the sooner I can go back to fix that silly bugger.”

As much as Kíli would like to argue, he knew that Oín had a point. While Oín was waving his wand in intricate patterns and muttering incantations in a language Kíli did not know, all Kíli could do was to pray to all the deities he could think of: Please do not let Thorin die. Please do not let any harm come to him! I’ll do anything, anything you want, as long as he’s okay.

After what felt like an eternity, Oín finally stopped. Waving impatiently at Aragorn, who rushed forward to help Oín get up, he said curtly to Kíli, “That’s it, laddie. You should be fine in a couple of days. Still need to drink a shitload of potions but at least you’ll walk and run soon. Now,” he turned to Aragorn, “take him back to the Hospital Wing. No Apparition. Levitation Charm should do the trick.”

“But I want to see Professor Thorin.”

Kíli’s protests died on his lips when he saw the scowls on Oín’s face. “No, you don’t! I’ve had enough disobedient patients for one day! Go with Aragorn or Mahal knows I’ll knock you out with my ear trumpet.”

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“Better not cross Mister Oín when he’s looking after his patients,” Aragorn said with a badly concealed grin. “He might be your favourite uncle any other time of the week. But if you get in the way of him and his patients, Mister Oín can turn into an Acromantula whose territory has just been invaded.”

Kíli grimaced. Being levitated off the ground while still conscious was an experience he could do without. Even though Aragorn was very skilled and he hardly felt any bumps, he was still floating a good 6 feet off the ground with nothing but Aragon’s magic supporting him. “I never know Mister Oín could get so feisty.”

Aragorn’s smile disappeared. “He only gets this anxious when the injury is extremely serious. Frankly, this does not bode well for Professor Thorin.”

“But…” Kíli could not wrap his head around this. Surely Oín could heal Thorin. He could not die! He simply could not! “I don’t understand. Whose spell hit him? When he collapsed, Bellatrix Lestrange was already out.” He closed his eyes and tried to recall everything that he saw during the battle. “Antonin Dolohov was pretty preoccupied himself and Azog was dead, killed by his own Killing Curse, ironically enough. So who could have… Ahhhh!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Aragorn, who had just stopped on his track, his concentration lapsed and thus sending Kíli falling down, apologised profusely. “I was distracted. But did you just say that Azog was killed by his own Killing Curse?”

“Yeah.” Kíli massaged his heart. This was not fun at all.

“But this is mental! Why would Azog kill himself during battle?”

Kíli resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “He didn’t kill himself, obviously. You were there. You saw the whole thing. His Killing Curse rebounded off me and killed himself.”

The surprised look on Aragorn’s face made Kíli push his arm down instinctively. Fortunately, Aragorn had learnt from his mistakes so Kíli was still safely above ground. “Fíli blocked my view. But how can the Killing Curse rebound off you? This has never happened before! There’s no shield against the Killing Curse.”

“I don’t know,” Kíli said slowly. “I… I honestly have no idea. I wish it’s just sheer dumb luck but I doubt it. You can’t cheat death without some kind of sacrifice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some action (and maybe a cliffhanger :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once, Kíli was not the only occupant in the Hospital Wing.

Once Kíli was safely settled in the Hospital Wing, Aragorn lost no time in rummaging through Oín’s potion cupboard. With a cry of triumph, he grabbed a phial of vile-looking potion. “Maximum strength Skele-gro. This should do the trick. Now,” he poured the potion into a cup, which smoked to Kíli’s alarm, and handed it over to Kíli, “better do it quickly, pinch your nose too.”

Eyeing it suspiciously, Kíli hesitated before following Aragorn’s instruction, which turned out to be critical since Kíli would have otherwise spat the potion out. It tasted absolutely disgusting, like rotten cabbages combined with some strong spice that burnt his throat. Coughing violently, Kíli did not even look when Aragorn handed him another cup.

“What on earth is that?”

“A sleeping draught,” Aragorn said without a trace of shame. “Trust me, you’ll thank me once you wake up.”

“But I don’t want to go to sleep. I want to wait until Professor Thorin is here and…” After that, everything turned black.

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The next time Kíli woke up, the room was dark except for the faint light of a lantern on the wall. He tried to sit up but gave up after one try. His whole body hurt as if he had just been run over by a horde of stampeding centaurs. “Ahhh…”

“Kíli!” Fíli’s soft cry almost made Kíli jump. Turning his head around, which was difficult because his neck was so stiff, he could see Fíli struggling to get up from a makeshift sleeping bag next to his bed. In the bed next to his lay Thorin, completely still despite the disturbance. This sight alone made Kíli feel as if someone had grabbed his heart and squeezed it hard.

“How are you feeling?” Fíli’s eyes were red from exhaustion or tears Kíli could not tell. But at least his clothes looked clean and his hair was no longer covered in dust. “Does your back still hurt?”

“Everything hurts,” Kíli grumbled, which was perfectly true. “It’s a bit hard to tell which part hurts more actually.”

Fíli smiled. “Well, I guess the Maximum strength Skele-gro does that to you. It has to repair not only your bones but also your nerves. It’s a good thing that Aragorn knocked you out with a potion. But can you feel your legs?”

Taking a deep breath, Kíli tried to wiggle his toes. When it worked, he almost burst into tears. He was not paralysed. He was going to be able to walk again.

Fíli looked equally emotional but when he embraced Kíli, it was extremely gentle. “Thank Mahal! I feared for the worst!”

Now that he was out of any danger, Kíli had to ask the questions that had been burning in his chest. “Are you okay? How’s Professor Thorin? What exactly happened to him? Will he be alright?”

Fíli’s sigh made Kíli’s heart sink. “I’m okay but I honestly don’t know about uncle. Mister Oín did his best and he seems to think that uncle will make it. But he just looks so lifeless, so unlike him, that…” his voice broke. Now it was Kíli’s turn to embrace Fíli.

“I know,” Kíli said in a low voice. How could Thorin, the forever dependable and strong Thorin, the one who is always going to be there, protecting them from any harm, suffer like this? What if he doesn’t… “No, he will be fine!” Kíli said firmly, partially to convince himself. “Mister Oín knows his healing. If he thinks Professor Thorin will make it, he will make it. Besides, he hasn’t even sent him to St Mungo’s. Surely he would have done that if the situation is that critical.”

This seemed to give Fíli strength, as he sniffled and wiped his eyes. “I think you’re right. Thanks, Kíli.”

With Fíli still in his arms, Kíli looked around. He could feel his heart sink at the number of occupied beds. So many people hurt.

As if reading his mind, Fíli said in a soft voice, “They will be fine. None of these injuries is severe, except uncle’s. Some Aurors’ injuries are serious and they’ve been sent to St Mungo’s. Aragorn went there as well. He will be fine but he still needs more treatment to make sure that there’s no lingering effect from the Cruciatus Curse. It seems that we’ve been their target all along. At least, that’s what Professor Dwalin told me before he left with Professor Gandalf. They’re still questioning the captured Death Eaters.”

Kíli sat up a little straighter. “Are they here, in Hogwarts? You’ve got to be joking!”

Fíli did not look thrilled about the new addition to the castle either. “The Minister deemed it prudent as Hogwarts is closer and under maximum protection. With all the Aurors we have in Hogsmeade, it is less risky to have the Death Eaters here until he can arrange a team to take them back to Azkaban.”

Even though it made sense, the thought that the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange were inside the castle still made Kíli’s skin crawl. He hoped with all his heart that Frodo would not be affected by this. “So how many Death Eaters did we capture?”

“Four,” said Fíli, not without satisfaction. “Only Dolohov escaped. Their rank is undoubtedly weakened after this cowardly attack. Sneaking up on the students! Bastards!”

This reminded Kíli of something. “You said that we’ve been their target all along. What do you mean?”

“I think Azog is the mastermind behind the attack. He still hasn’t given up the hope of using the Arkenstone to enhance his power and resurrect the Dark Lord. He’s hoping to kill us, you, me, and uncle, thus wiping out the Oakenshield and Durin bloodline.”

Kíli frowned. As far as plans go, this was not exactly the best or even the most reasonable one. “But he doesn’t even know where the Arkenstone is! Besides, your mum is still alive. She’s an Oakenshield too. He still can’t use the Arkenstone’s power.”

To Kíli’s surprise, Fíli snorted. “If you think mum’s going to go into hiding after we’re killed! Trust me, she’ll hunt Azog and his cronies down, to the end of the world if necessary. Nobody touches her family and lives to tell the tale.” He shook his head. “Not the best coping mechanism because she’ll most likely get herself killed but that’s mum for you. She’s a Gryffindor for a reason. I bet that’s what Azog is banking on. As for the Arkenstone, once we’re all dead, anyone who finds it can claim it’s power. So even if he doesn’t find it now, he’s still in a much better position.”

Never had Kíli been this grateful that Azog’s plan was thwarted. “Thank god he failed!”

“I know,” murmured Fíli and they both remained silent, each absorbed in their own thoughts. When Fíli spoke next, Kíli could hear the hesitation in his voice, “Do you, er, want to talk about Azog?”

The truth was, Kíli did not know if he felt ready to talk about Azog’s death. Part of him was filled with vindictive satisfaction, especially after learning about Azog’s heinous plan. The other part of him, which was growing larger by the minute, was full of horror from the realisation that he had killed someone. Another life! Ended by his hand! Does that make him a murderer? Does that split his soul? Does that make him no better than Azog and his Death Eaters? How could he explain all this to Fíli, that while he had no regret whatsoever that Azog was dead, he was terrified by the fact that he was the one who caused it?

“You did the right thing,” Fíli said softly, reading Kíli’s mind as per usual. “It’s not the easiest decision nor something you can just forget and move on. But you did it in self-defence. If you hadn’t done it, we could all be dead.”

“I don’t even know how I did it,” Kíli admitted in a low voice. “I didn’t actually do anything, you know. I thought I was going to die from Azog’s Killing Curse. Then it just rebounded off me. I have no idea how!”

The confused look on Fíli’s face did nothing to clarify Kíli’s own doubts. “You didn’t do anything? I thought you must have done something. Killing Curses don’t just rebound off people. Maybe your magic reacted automatically. It can happen to people in life-and-death situations. I mean, you’ve got the Sense, haven’t you? Who knows what other hidden magical powers you might have!”

For some reason, this potential magical power that could defy death did not fill Kíli with joy. He had been in the magical world long enough to know that such gifts rarely manifested itself without reason, nor did it come without cost. His Sense was kept a secret for a good reason. He simply could not imagine what kind of trouble he would attract if he could now cheat death. “I hope not. But then again, I really can’t figure out why.” He massaged his temples. All this thinking was making his head hurt.

“Then we will figure it out together,” Fíli said firmly as he patted Kíli’s pillow to make it more comfortable before pushing gently Kíli back down to bed. “There is no use thinking about it now. Why don’t you get some more sleep? It’s just gone midnight and I reckon Professor Dwalin and Professor Gandalf will come to visit tomorrow. We’ll ask them then.”

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Just as Fíli had predicted, Dwalin, Gandalf, Lady Galadriel, Elrond, and Bilbo all turned up in the Hospital Wing right after breakfast the next day. Every one of them had dark shadows under their eyes, which was hardly surprising after what happened the day before. Nobody, Kíli was grateful to see, looked disheartened, except perhaps Bilbo, who looked anguished at the sight of injured Hufflepuff students and made a beeline to their bedside. The other professors came to Kíli, who was grateful for the distraction. He had just been force-fed another phial of Oín’s vile potion, which now sat swirling in his stomach, threatening to escape through either end.

“Ah, good morning, Kíli,” said Gandalf with a smile, “it is such a relief to see that you have made great progress in your recovery.”

“Thanks,” Kíli smiled, though only momentarily. Thorin was still in bed, cold to the world. Despite Oín’s reassurance, Kíli could not help but feel worried when he saw Thorin’s pale face, in sharp contrast to his mane of raven black hair. “Is Professor Thorin going to be alright?”

To Kíli’s great relief, Gandalf’s smile did not vanish with the question, which he took as a positive sign. “Yes. Rest assured, young Kíli. Your Potions Professor will wake up in a day or two. He simply needs more rest to recuperate.”

“Phew. That’s a relief! I just… I’ve never seen him like this before,” Kíli said honestly. “Why does it take so long? He’s been unconscious for almost a whole day.”

“That’s what happens when yer life force is drained away.” Dwalin jumped in eagerly. “Stupid git. All too eager to play the hero. Look where it’s got him. Hopefully, this will teach him a lesson not to do something so stupid next time. No offence, laddie,” he turned to Kíli, who had not understood a word that Dwalin had just said, “I mean I’m over the moon that it saved yer life. I'd do it myself in a heartbeat. But still!”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Kíli had to ask, “but what do you…”

“Ah, sorry, laddie.” Dwalin clapped his hand so hard on his forehead that Kíli heard a smack. “I didn’t realise that yeh didn’t…” He hesitated and shot a furtive glance at Thorin. It seemed that he regretted divulging so much information, “well, I don’t know if…”

“I believe that Kíli deserves the truth,” said Lady Galadriel softly, “whatever Thorin’s preference might be. One should never start,” she coughed delicately, “a new phase of their life without knowing all the truth.”

“Please, what are you all talking about?”

“I want to know too.” Fíli stood up from his chair, looking pale and concerned. “Whatever this is, if it concerns uncle and Kíli, I need to know.”

“Right,” Dwalin sighed in resignation, “okay. So the reason why Thorin’s out cold as a dead hippogriff is that his life force has been drained by Azog’s Killing Curse.”

“What?” Both Kíli and Fíli exclaimed at the same time.

“This makes no sense,” Kíli said as he looked from Dwalin to Gandalf. “He wasn’t even there when Azog fired his Killing Curse at me. Besides, the Killing Curse rebounded after, after…”

“Yes, laddie, yeh guessed it right.” Dwalin patted Kíli sympathetically on the shoulder, after seeing the dumbfounded look on his face. “The necklace that Thorin gave ya, it’s a protective charm.”

“What necklace?” Fíli asked sharply. Without a word, Kíli pulled the locket from under his pyjamas. “Uncle gave this to you?”

“As a present! Or at least that’s what I thought it was. But,” he turned to Dwalin, “this used to belong to my father. How can it…”

“Blood magic.” It was Elrond who answered. “Thorin used some of his blood to perform the blood magic. It is dark and very obscure. He must have found it in the Erebor Library. But it’s highly effective, perhaps the only effective protection against the Killing Curse.”

“It works in similar ways as the sacrifice I’ve told ya about,” Dwalin continued. “But as you might have guessed, its protection doesn’t come for free. The cost is…”

“Thorin’s life,” Kíli finished the sentence in almost a whisper. What had he done by accepting that necklace? He had killed Thorin! “No!”

“Yes,” Dwalin said, his eyes still on Thorin and thus missed the look of horror on Kíli’s face. “By putting his blood in that necklace with the right spell, an extremely complicated one, I might add, he essentially put parts of his life in it. So when the Killing Curse hit ya, instead of killing yeh, it killed that part of him. Because of its protective nature, it also rebounds the curse and that’s what killed Azog.”

Unable to hold it any longer, Kíli burst out in tears. “Why did he do this? He, he, he can’t! Now he’s going to die because of me! I’m not worth that!”

“Kíli!” Even Fíli’s alarmed cry was not enough to shake Kíli out of his wretched state. His face buried in his arms, Kíli could only vaguely hear the conversation between the professors because the blood in his ears was thumping too hard. In the end, it was Fíli’s warmth around his back that calmed him enough to look up.

“Oh, Kíli!” Fíli’s face was streaked with tears too. “I’m so sorry! I know this sounds bad but I am glad that uncle did this. I would have lost you otherwise.”

“But…”

“This is not your doing, Kíli, and Thorin is not going to die.” Gandalf’s authoritative voice, so different from his usually kind one, made both of them turn around. “It is true that he has made a big sacrifice in making this locket using blood magic, an extremely reckless choice no doubt but in the end not a fatal one. He will thus be severely weakened. I will not lie and say that this kind of spell won’t kill you. They often do. But he has survived the initial blow so he will eventually recover. Hence, I suggest that the best course of action would be to stay with him and help him in any way you can during his recovery process. It is going to be long and sometimes frustrating. But this is where your love and support can make all the difference in the world.”

To his surprise, Kíli felt immensely relieved. Not because Gandalf said that it was not Kíli’s fault because even though it was true, rationality is of little help when your loved ones are in danger. It was not even because Gandalf assured Kíli that Thorin’s life would not be in danger, though it was a great relief to hear. It was because Gandalf had given them a task, a task that would be difficult yet could help Thorin. In a way, Kíli felt that he would be paying penance for what had happened to Thorin.

“You might find him slightly altered after he wakes up,” Lady Galadriel said gently. “Try not to think ill of him or resent him. The spell that he used was extremely powerful yet inherently dark, not because it could be used for nefarious reasons, but because it puts the user in such danger that to use it, one must be exceptionally foolhardy or desperate.”

Kíli could feel his heart break. It must have taken immense courage for Thorin to resort to such drastic measures, only because he wanted to save Kili’s life. What had he done in his past life to deserve such love and honour? For there was no doubt about it: Thorin did love him. Not only did he save Kíli’s life, but he had also helped avenge Kíli’s parents, something Kíli had vowed to do ever since he learnt the true identity of his parents’ murderer yet had no way of accomplishing. Whether Thorin knew it or not was irrelevant. His actions spoke louder than words. How could Kíli ever repay him, to give him what he solely deserved, when he was in love with someone else? “I’d never! Not after what he has done for me!”

Perhaps sensing the maudlin atmosphere, Fíli quickly changed the subject. “Has any of the Death Eaters given you any useful information?”

Elrond shook his head gravely. “Not much, unfortunately. You’ve got to understand that they are the most dedicated Death Eaters. They’ve endured years of Azkaban for their Dark Lord! I doubt that even torture could loosen their tongue, not that we’d ever stoop to that level. All we could glean, mostly from their insane ramblings than anything else, is that Azog was the mastermind behind the attack and you are the main target. Other than that, we can only guess.”

Kíli nodded. He had expected that much. The only comfort was that now that Azog was dead and most of his Death Eaters cronies were captured, they could finally have some peace. “Are the Aurors still looking for Dolohov?”

“Of course,” said Dwalin reassuringly. “Don’t ya worry about that, Kíli. We will find the bastard and put him back to Azkaban just like his fellow convicts, where they all belong.”

Even though Kíli was not as optimistic as Dwalin, for he knew that it would be a lot harder to capture one Death Eater who seemed to have retained enough sanity to know when to flee than a group hellbent on staging an attack, he was hopeful that Dolohov would not be able to do much by himself while he was on the run. They could not afford to have another attack.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time Kíli was deemed fit to be released a day later, Thorin still had not opened his eyes. Kíli would very much love to stay by his side but Oín insisted that Thorin would recover faster in a quieter environment. All the other students had been discharged as well, leaving Thorin the sole occupant in the Hospital Wing. Feeling bad to leave him there alone, Kíli insisted on visiting Thorin at least three times a day. He would always sit on a chair next to Thorin’s bed, either watching Oín feed Thorin potions to sustain him or simply talking to Thorin about everything and nothing.

“The Daily Prophet has finally published an article about the Battle. It didn’t give much detail, which, thank god! I can’t even imagine what my life will be like if everyone knows what happened between me and Azog. It did elaborate on the death of Rodolphus Lestrange and the capture of Bellatrix Lestrange and Rabastan Lestrange while glossing over the fact that Antonin Dolohov had managed to escape. Typical Ministry. Professor Gandalf has left the castle again. I think,” he looked around to make sure that no one else was within earshot, “he’s gone to do some Order business. Haven’t the foggiest what but he’s been gone for three days. On the bright side, you can’t believe how well Fíli’s Apparition test went.”

Said test was postponed for 2 days so all the students of age could attend after their recovery from the attack. “He Apparated precisely on the spot, looking so graceful and elegant that Wilkie Twycross practically swooned on the spot. Ori and Legolas did well too. Gimli’s was a bit of a mess though. He did manage to Apparate. Except not to the designated spot. He, er, somehow landed in a Muggle hotel, a pretty seedy one actually, directly on top of a couple who were, er,” Kíli scratched his head. Even though Thorin was very much unconscious, talking about sex in front of him still made Kíli blush, “squelching away. I heard that he landed on top of the bloke and nearly crushed him. Poor chap. I think he might be traumatised for life.”

“Do you honestly think that Gimli’s Apparition disaster will interest uncle and bring him back to life?”

Kíli whipped his head around and beamed at Fíli’s approaching figure. The bright smile on Fíli’s face never failed to brighten his day.

“Why not?” Kíli laughed. “It was certainly entertaining. I wish I was there to see it. I’m sure your uncle would find humour in it too.”

“So I would…”

Both Kíli and Fíli jumped. On the bed, miraculously, Thorin’s deep blue eyes were open and staring at them. His face was still pale, but not so deathly anymore. The dark bags under his eyes also seemed less pronounced. But more importantly, he was awake.

“Professor!”  
“Uncle!”

Kíli could feel tears rushing to his eyes when Thorin’s eyes fell on him and a faint smile crept up his still pale face. He’s awake! If Thorin had not looked so pale, he would have thrown himself into his arms. “How are you feeling, professor?”

“As good as I can be under the circumstances,” Thorin said as he struggled to get up. Kíli rushed to his side in a second, not to help him but to push him back down.

“Please, sir, you’re overexerting yourself. Just lie down and I’ll go find Mister Oín.”

Thorin chuckled weakly. “You must have spent some time here because you’re beginning to sound like Oín.”

As it turned out, Kíli was right. When Oín came out and saw Thorin’s second attempt to sit up, he gave the Potions Master a good talking to, before shoving a whole phial of potion down his throat. “Drink up. Just because you’re awake, doesn’t mean you’re healed. You’re still weak as a baby flobberworm and ready to pass out at any moment. So be a good boy, drink your potion, and sleep!”

Rolling his eyes, because that was the only exercise he dared to do under Oín’s hawk eyes, Thorin drank all his potions, 5 phials in total, and closed his eyes again. Despite all his burning questions, Kíli knew that he had to let Thorin rest. The mere fact that Thorin had regained consciousness was comfort enough for him. He could finally breathe.

Just as Lady Galadriel predicted, Thorin’s recovery process was long and arduous. Even after the breakthrough moment, he was still extremely weak and thus confined to the bed, spending most of the time sleeping. Kíli and Fíli went to visit him daily but Oín forbade them to engage Thorin in any conversation that required input from him. Kíli could sense his Potions Master’s frustration at his current state but there was little he could do. He, therefore, made it his life’s mission to cheer Thorin up.

“Thanks for the impromptu dance,” Thorin said with a wry smile. “It was, er, unexpected. Your hidden depths never fail to surprise me.”

Kíli grinned while Fíli facepalmed next to him. So what he was making a fool of himself! As long as he could get Thorin to smile and forget, even for a second, his current condition, he considered that a massive success. “Any time, sir.”

“Perhaps yeh could perform for us next time too, laddie.” Dwalin’s booming voice was accompanied by an affectionate ruffle of Kíli’s already dishevelled hair. “That will make quite a holiday treat.”

Kíli made a face. At least Dwalin was alone so his embarrassment was not broadcasted publicly. “How are you doing, sir?”

“Just grand! Better than Thorin anyway, the poor sod.”

“You have terrible bedside manners, you know?” Thorin grumbled but with a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Discussing yer future,” Dwalin said bluntly. “Everyone’s leaving next week so we better figure out what to do with yeh. Speaking of which,” he turned to Kíli and Fíli, “have yeh packed yer school trunks?”

“No, but we’ve got loads of ti…” Kíli’s words were cut off by Fíli, who grabbed Kíli by the elbow and pulled him up, “You’re right, sir. We’ll go and pack right away.”

“Why did you do that?” Kíli hissed once they were outside the Hospital Wing. “I want to hear their plan for Professor Thorin.”

Fíli shook his head in exasperation. “Come on, Kíli. Professor Dwalin clearly wants to speak to uncle alone. We should…”

“... Kíli!”

The mention of his name stopped Kíli dead on his track. Ignoring Fíli’s frantic attempts to drag him away, Kíli walked back on tiptoes and pressed his ears to the door of the Hospital Wing. If they were going to talk about what happened during the battle, he needed to know.

“I did what was necessary to save his life.” Thorin’s voice, though still weak, was surprisingly firm. “I understand the consequences of my actions and if given the chance to relive that, I’d do the same without a second thought. The key thing is that Kíli lives. The fact that Azog was killed by his own Killing Curse is an added bonus.”

The loud thumping noise could only come from Dwalin, who was probably hitting something in frustration. “But yeh almost got yerself killed! Mordor! I don’t know how yeh survived! Most people die in that kind of situation! Yeh could have died!”

“So? As long as Kíli liv…”

“So? So? Are yeh out of yer bloody mind, Thorin? I would have lost my best friend! Dís would have lost her only brother! Fíli would have lost his uncle and mentor! The Dwarves would have lost our leader in this most difficult time. Thorin!”

Thorin sighed, “I understand, my friend. Trust me, I do. Under any normal circumstances, I would have agreed with you. My duties require that I forgo any personal attachment. If there is anyone who knows what I have gone through, it would be you.”

Those cryptic words made absolutely no sense to Kíli. From the look on Fíli’s face, it was clear that he was in the dark too as to the past that his uncle was referring to. Dwalin, however, understood perfectly.

“Are yeh telling me that… But I thought Fre…”

“I thought so too.” Thorin cut him off. “For that reason alone, I have resisted for as long as I could. But the evidence is irrefutable. The shared dreams, my power returning. I cannot delude myself any longer.”

“But he’s yer student! He’s underage!”

“First of all, he is no longer taking my class but I understand your concern. I am still in a position of power, which makes this kind of relationship if it progresses to that level, inappropriate. As for the second obstacle, it will no longer be so in a couple of months’ time. Unless you have not noticed, I have refrained from taking any direct actions, nor do I plan to make any moves or initiate the relationship in any way. As far as I'm aware, Kíli is ignorant of my feelings. He might have some inklings, but no proof.”

Kíli could feel his face heat up. Thorin, of all the people in the world, had just confessed his love for him! If he had been a more vain person, he would have derived great pleasure from that thought alone. Kíli, however, felt nothing but anxiety. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Fíli’s face had turned so pale that Kíli grabbed his hands instinctively.

“Are yeh absolutely cert…”

“Yes,” Thorin sighed. “I realise that we might not have the best start but my affection for Kíli is genuine. He is my One. I’m sure of it.”

“What about Fíli then?” Dwalin asked the question that was on everybody’s mind. “Yeh know the lads love each other. One or not, their love is real.”

“I do not doubt that. I used to think, or perhaps hope, that it was a mere fling. Not anymore. I,” he hesitated. Kíli could almost picture Thorin closing his eyes in resignation, “I don’t know if I should tell him how I feel. Normally I would not have hesitated because, well, maybe I am a selfish person after all, but I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without Kíli. But I cannot break Fíli’s heart either. He deserves to be happy more than I do. Sometimes I wonder if I should be killed by Azog’s Killing Curse, after all.”

The loud thumping noise made both Fíli and Kíli jump. “Don’t be daft!” Dwalin cried angrily. “Yeh of all people deserve to be happy! After everything yeh've been through, all the sacrifices yeh've made? Don’t yeh ever think like that again!”

“It will make Kíli and Fíli’s lives a lot easier. Maybe it is for the best.”

“So yeh’re going to stand back and let them get together?” It was hard to parse out the emotions in Dwalin’s voice. Kíli could hardly blame him. He found it difficult to process all the feelings inside too. Judging by Fíli’s pale face, he was going through the same turmoil.

“I will let Kíli choose. I will not begrudge him even if he decides that Fíli is better for him. I did not choose to protect him because I want him to love me back. I chose to protect him and will continue to do so because he is the love of my life. My only wish is for Kíli to be happy. That is all I need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that almost everybody is team Fíli but I hope you can maybe love poor Thorin a little bit :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home.

As much as Kíli would love to stay in Hogwarts, especially since Thorin would stay there for at least another couple of weeks to recuperate, he had to leave the castle with all the other students on the Hogwarts Express right after breakfast on Monday. No amount of pleading and eyelash batting had worked.

“Yeh are going to Erebor, laddie, and that is that,” Dwalin said firmly when he walked them to the carriages pulled by Thestrals. “That’s the safest place for yeh, especially with all the professors gone from the castle.”

“But what about Professor Thorin? He needs protection more than anyone else when he’s stuck in bed the whole time. He’s an Oakenshield and he’s the leader of the Dwarves!”

“The castle is well-protected. Besides, Gandalf will stay in the castle until Thorin is well enough to move back to Erebor. His presence alone would be enough to deter any Death Eaters.”

That Kíli did not doubt. He did, however, worry about Thorin’s mental health. Now that Thorin was awake most of the time during the day, the need to keep him constantly entertained without taxing his body became paramount. Despite Oín’s repeated promises that he was making great progress, Thorin was becoming more and more impatient with the speed of his recovery, which was very slow indeed. He was still bed-bound, something he finally accepted begrudgingly because he kept collapsing and passing out after sitting up for more than 10 minutes. His magic was equally depleted, so much so that Oín had confiscated his wand to remove any temptation for him to use his magic. His mind, on the other hand, was active and sharp as ever, creating the dilemma he found himself in. So far, the only way for Thorin to vent his mounting frustration was to verbally abuse Oín, who soon adopted the practice of forgetting his ear trumpet whenever he was near Thorin. Kíli and Fíli tried their best to help, of course. Their departure, however, could only exacerbate the situation. “But Professor Thorin is going to be bored out of his mind. Surely he needs some company. Professor Gandalf is going to be busy. He won’t be able to stay at the bedside all the time.”

Dwalin laughed. “Yeh mistake Thorin for an extrovert like yerself. Trust me, what he needs are things to occupy his mind, not other people breathing down his neck all the time. As long as he’s got books to read, he’ll be fine. And Oín has finally cleared him to read after Thorin threatened to curse his bollocks off.” When Kíli still looked sceptical, Dwalin smiled and ruffled Kíli’s hair affectionately, “Don’t worry, laddie. I will stop by every other day. So will my brother. He’s going to run Erebor in Thorin’s absence.”

“Can I come with you?”

Dwalin hesitated before saying, “Best not, laddie. It’s not the safest option. It’s only two weeks,” He added hastily when he saw the crestfallen look on Kíli’s face. “After that, yeh’ll have him in Erebor for the rest of the summer. Trust me, yeh’ll get bored of him very quickly so enjoy these two weeks while yeh still can.”

In the end, Kíli had to give up. Dwalin was right. It was only for two weeks. Yet it still weighed on his conscience that he was leaving Thorin behind in the castle all by himself, while he was going to go back to Erebor and enjoy his time with Fíli and Dís. The final decision was made for him when Fíli asked him about their plans in Erebor, his eyes bright when he mentioned some new games they could play and books they could read. The smile on Fíli’s face was so contagious that Kíli forgot almost everything else in the world.

They still had not talked about the Elephant in the Room after they eavesdropped on Thorin and Dwalin’s conversation. Kíli had a feeling that it needed to come from him yet he had no idea where to even start. How did he feel about Thorin and Fíli? He had never doubted his feelings for Fíli but what about Thorin? Because as much as he would like to continue acting like an ostrich with his head buried in the sand, he could not ignore the fact that his feelings towards Thorin had changed drastically. The past year had shown him what Thorin was like outside the classroom. His wisdom, his consideration, his sense of responsibility, his selflessness, his quiet humour, all of these were things that Kíli deeply admired. The fact that Thorin chose to sacrifice himself to save Kíli only further complicated matters. How could he turn Thorin down, after what he had done for him?

“So,” Gimli threw himself down next to Kíli in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express, “excited for the summer holidays? Two whole months in Erebor, huh?”

“What about your summer holidays? Where are you staying?” Kíli could not help but notice that Gimli’s trunk was nowhere to be seen.

“Greenleaf Manor, of course,” Gimli said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Thranduil is home now so Legolas can’t wait to go back. Since dad would rather snog a Blast-Ended Skrewts than see me at home, I’m going with Legolas.”

Kíli raised an eyebrow. “Thranduil is okay with that?”

Gimli rolled his eyes. “Of course. I can’t exactly gate crash into his manor, can I? Besides,” he gave Kíli his most smug smirk, “can anyone really resist my charm?”

Kíli mimed gagging while Fíli shook his head in amusement. “Of course not. I am glad that you are spending your summer there though. Do come and visit when you’ve got the time. Legolas too, if he wants to, of course.”

“And do write to us so you can tell us all about the Elf lifestyle.” Ori’s eyes lit up with his usual academic enthusiasm. “It will be so fascinating. I don’t think any Dwarf has ever lived in an Elf home for such a long time before.”

Gimli’s smart reply was cut off when Legolas appeared outside their compartment. Knocking politely, he waved at Kíli, Fíli, and Ori and smiled when Gimli turned around, which brought up a smitten smile on Gimli’s face. Kíli was deeply torn between the urge to gag and sigh.

“How are you, Legolas? How’s your father doing?” It was amazing how much their relationship had improved over the years. While they might not be the best of friends still, Kíli was always pleased to see Legolas nowadays, a feeling he would not think possible just a couple of years ago.

Legolas smiled. “He’s doing much better. Thank you for asking, Kíli.” He hesitated. When he saw the encouraging look in Gimli’s eyes, however, he continued, “I’ve never thanked you properly.”

“What for?” Kíli could not, for the life of him, understand what Legolas was talking about.

“You killed Azog,” Legolas said softly, his eyes bright. Kíli was not surprised that he knew. The details of the Battle at Hogsmeade was still a mystery to the majority of the Wizarding populace, even to most of the participants because everything was too hectic that day. The Ministry only encouraged this secrecy, something Kíli was extremely grateful for. Legolas must have learnt the truth from Gimli. “He might not be the one who cast the curse but it was he who masterminded the whole attack that injured my father and killed…” His voice broke. Kíli was alarmed to find tears in Legolas’s beautiful blue eyes. “I hate him so much that I dreamt of the day I would face him in battle myself so I could kill him while looking him straight in the eye. But I know I’m not strong enough. Even my father could not fight them off. I thought they’d get away with it but they didn’t, all because of you. My father and Galion are avenged because of you.”

“I…” Kíli wanted to say that it was not him, that he did not deserve Legolas’s gratitude. Yet somehow the words could not come out, not in front of a very emotional Legolas. For once in his life, Kíli understood that sometimes the truth does not matter that much. Sometimes people just need some closure. “You are welcome.”

Legolas nodded solemnly. “I know that you are going to spend the summer in Erebor. But if you feel so inclined, we would be honoured to receive you at Greenleaf Manor. Father is sufficiently recovered for such functions. Besides, Tauriel would be delighted to see you.”

“Tauriel is still living with you?” Kíli did not expect that.

“Only for the summer, since the Quidditch season is over. She wanted to offer her help in father’s recovery and in reinforcing the Manor’s security. We’re, of course, extremely grateful. Father particularly appreciates the company, especially after, well, you know.”

It seemed that Legolas was not the only one who had grown up and changed. Kíli smiled. “I’d love to. That would be lovely. Thank you, Legolas, for the invitation.”

By the time they had arrived at the King’s Cross Station, it was almost dinner time. Waving his wand, Kíli levitated his trunk off the rack and hopped off the train. The platform was even more crowded than before, with anxious parents as well as Aurors patrolling the station. Ori was soon dragged away by a harassed-looking Dori and a smirking Nori so hastily that he barely had time to shout out a goodbye. Kíli sniggered. Dori’s protectiveness had reached a new level after the Battle at Hogsmeade. Poor Ori. Kíli hoped that Dori’s paranoia would not cause him to snap and lock Ori in the basement.

“Kíli! Fíli!”

Before Kíli could even turn around to look properly, he found himself engulfed in such a tight embrace that he had trouble breathing. Thankfully, Fíli’s presence meant that Dís had another target to smother, thus saving Kíli from that fate. “How are you, my dearest, dearest boys? I’ve been worried sick! Oh, let me look at you!”

“We’re fine, mum,” Fíli sounded out of breath. “Honestly.”

“Hmm,” Dís did not look convinced as she looked both Kíli and Fíli up and down, “you both look a bit peaky. Are you sure you are alright? Nothing hurts? Have you been eating?”

“We’re fine, Mrs Arken,” Kíli reassured her. “We only had some very minor injuries that Mister Oín fixed in no time. It’s Professor Thorin that you should be worried about.”

The small smile on Dís’s face froze and she sighed. Kíli wanted to kick himself. Why did he have to bring it up? Dís must be extremely distressed about her brother’s conditions. The last thing she needed right now was constant reminders of that. Besides, Thorin was in trouble because of him. How would Dís feel about the person causing her brother such pain and suffering? Would she still see Kíli as part of the family? “I’m so sorry, Mrs Arken.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Dís said firmly. “This is not your fault at all. I’m just so glad that you’re okay. My brother has been through worse so he will recover. I know he will. Now,” she smiled and put one arm each around both Fíli and Kíli, “let’s stop worrying. We’ll figure things out when we’re home.”

Home! For the first time in his life, Kíli knew that he was going home with his family. For the first time in his life, he was no longer a guest. For the first time in his life, he felt that he truly belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I solemnly swear that the whole love triangle situation will be resolved in the next (and the last) story, one way or another!


End file.
